A CAMPAIGN DAY WITH FREE

In the early morning of Tuesday the entourage of Livre entered the modern facilities of AICEP-the agency for the investment and foreign trade of Portugal-where it started the third day of the campaign between discourses on ecological transition and the production of green hydrogen. But it would be in the afternoon, dozens of kilometers from there, that politics would give way to the theater: in Palmela, the theatrical company “O Bando” opened its doors to the party caravan, which exchanged the stage for the stage and the slogans for dramaturgical silences.

Rui Tavares arrived late, but smiling and humorous, as in a return home. Known theater, book and story lover – he himself writer and author of various works – the initial conversation with the cast was passed on recalling previous pieces that he even watched in that space.

« The first piece I saw here was called Merlin, based on the stories of the Round Table, » recalls the Livre leader. But the connection to that collective also dates back to the party’s early days: «Around 2012, there was a moment of conversation here. We had made a manifesto to a free left, even before having party functions. And we made some meetings, which were called meetings to a free left. At one point we agreed to find ourselves here, to sit on a table and decide what to do next.

Invest 1% of GDP in Culture

After a brief visit to the theater company facilities, it was time to watch outdoors to a part of the rehearsal of the play “1001 Nights – Sister Mapuche”, which opens this Sunday.

In the end, the free spokesman spoke to the actors, taking the opportunity to make a parallelism between the story told and the reality. “We are at a time when they are asking us for opinion all the time and sometimes makes you want to say calm because we came from a common past that shares stories. The theater may save us from ourselves »

During the meeting, Rui Tavares insisted several times in the importance of culture, which « gives eating, gives salaries, gives many people life and brings many people to regions of the territory that could have difficulty finding their place in the economy. » For this, the leader of Livre argued that investment in culture must be « more robust » to reach 1% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and threw barbs to politicians who « do not respect culture »:

«And our politicians? Do you talk about our culture? Do they put money and invest in our culture? Take care of our heritage, our monuments? If those politicians who are shining the skies that immigrants have to respect our culture, they respected our culture more, for example, they more easily conveyed the culture they are talking about, ”he told reporters.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Rui Tavares also spoke to our newspaper about some of the proposals he has for the cultural sector, including a « culture check » for young people from the age of 18, which can be used for theater tickets, cinema or even books.

The free spokesman also spoke in the importance of creating « houses of creation » aimed at renewing buildings to make these cultural centers of citizen culture and amateur art, which can be from headquarters from a cultural project to rehearsal or exposure rooms.

Also at the European level, suggests the creation of a European House, a European library distributed by each Member State of the European Union, « where there was access to information, books, computers, documentation centers, instruments such as 3D printers among others. » The proposal was discussed on Thursday in a campaign action in Lisbon with Spain Minister Ernest Urtasun, who is part of a Free Brother Party, Sumar.

Already in the late afternoon, the conversation between the party entourage and the team of the gang ended around a table, packed with a Setúbal Moscatel. There was no talk about politics, only about literary translations: another of Rui Tavares’ skills.

Free wants to return to elect in Setúbal

Who has always been next to the free spokesman was Geisy Fernandes, number two on the party’s list by Setúbal. Brazilian of origin, lives in Almada and is part of the free since its inception.

« (Geisy) It will also be able to bring this view of those who have been in our country for many years and there is also a large Brazilian community in the district that also needs this representation in parliament and the problems they face in everyday life, » said the head of the circle of Setúbal, Paulo Muacho to the newspaper O Setubalense.

Immigration has been one of the party’s flags, which includes in its program the electoral review to include ‘the political participation and vote of immigrants and refugees resident in Portugal’ and ‘the elimination of Portuguese nationality originating as a limitation on the eligibility for the position of President of the Republic’.

Betting strongly in a campaign for the municipality of Setúbal, which continues this Friday with a visit to the Setúbal Polytechnic in the morning, and a rally in Almada, at the end of the day, the free expects again to reelect Muacho and increase the number of deputies in this electoral circle in the next legislative elections, which take place on May 18.

Rui Tavares: “If there is a government on the right, we are opposed”

In a post-election scenario, in which it is the third political force, would free integrate a renewed sprint to oppose?
For us it is very clear: if there is a right government and, if there is, even worse, a right government supported by the far right, we are part of the opposition.

If there is a possibility of forming a government of progress and ecology based on the contributions of leftist parties, free is part of the solution. What we make very clear is what our elements are to start talking. These elements are, in the plan of good governance, that a prime minister cannot have companies such as Spinumviva, that is, consultants, that there is no privatization of the National Health Service, that there is a robust investment in education and housing, that support for Ukraine remains and that Palestine see its recognized independence.

Free has been accused of strategic ambiguity, wants to be a PS partner, but also critical. Staying to the socialists, especially in municipalities, does not end up away some voters?
The free has broken with several taboos on the left. One of them is this very pragmatic issue regarding municipalities. The local electoral law is different from the law of legislatures. In autarchic, the list that has an extra vote has the government of that City Hall. The law itself is encouraging the convergence and even coalitions. We assume this very naturally and we will not, in a situation where it is possible to change the governance of a city, endanger the governance of a particular municipality and leave the citizens themselves displeased by sectarianism or fundamentalism.

It seems to us that people perceive the usefulness of the free vote as a vote that helps unlock solutions that voters on the left also want. Of course there are different assets and identities on the left.

He has just criticized politicians for not investing enough in culture. Isn’t PS one of them?
The elements I mentioned earlier are what we need to start negotiating. And the purpose of this conversation is to write a government program, which is not the equivalent of each party’s electoral program. It is a government program that takes the time it takes, has sectoral teams working in it, has a thorough job.

In these negotiations the free will try, with the business force they have, increasing the budget of culture and having a different idea for the budget, where culture is not a niche, is a dynamic part of a very important economic sector. I wish to go to 1% of GDP.

The defense is another of the areas where it defends a greater investment. How to finance a European defense alternative?
We certainly need defense investments that are intended to give autonomy to Europe and to prove to the rest of the world that Europe is serious and will pay face any interference or attempted sabotage.

One of the sources is European public debt. The European Union, compared to federal states, such as the US or Brazil, practically does not spend its budget. The European Union budget is 1% of European GDP and therefore there is clearly room to grow if we really want to take the defense of Europe seriously. Another instrument is the taxation of citizens who can most, namely European fortunes above 100 million euros.

Is it also in favor of greater investment in our Armed Forces?
If they tell me that the investment is to go buy F-16 to the US, that cost thousands of millions of euros and will strengthen the US industry, so I say no. If the investment is in industry, science, European research, there it already weighs. On top of that it comes out cheaper when we buy things together, as was the case with vaccines.

In the next 30, 50 years, who will be the world superpowers? The US; China; Russia, from the military point of view; India, from a demographic point of view. And Europe is only if you want to be. Because if you do nothing, then you will not tell you anything. This is the key element of our times, and Portugal also has to position itself.