At a moment where no-one has been considering the State Budget (after weeks where it was dished up continuously by the media), Iniciativa Liberal has announced that it will be voting against the document, which comes up for its general debate next Wednesday – by which time the unrest in outer Lisbon boroughs, the torching of buses and cars, should be a nightmare of the past. Quite why IL chose to reaffirm this intention (party leader Rui Rocha said as much when the budget was presented) on a day when the president of the country has effectively warned of the collapse of democracy, and attentions are clearly elsewhere, is unclear. Rocha’s complaints centre on the fact that the budget is too influenced by PS Socialists (who say they cannot vote for it because it is too right wing!)
Iniciativa Liberal “will vote against budget in its generality”
Luís Marques Mendes believes that "a large part of the Portuguese people are a little fed up with politicians, with the political class. This is not good for democracy" . Image: Lusa
