On the eve of the second-round campaign launch, André Ventura hardened his rhetoric, positioning himself as the 'people's candidate against the elites' and accusing the establishment of trying to silence his movement. He said Cavaco Silva’s support for António José Seguro was predictable but expressed surprise at Paulo Portas’s choice, insisting the popular vote will be enough to defeat Seguro. Having failed to unite the right and lost backing from leading figures, Ventura is pursuing a populist 'people against the elites' strategy while critics say he must draw clearer lines from political extremes.