"It was with great pleasure and sense of mission that I received from Dr. Tiago Moreira de Sá, former PSD deputy in the previous legislature, the acceptance of the invitation I had addressed to him to be one of the faces of Chega in the European elections", said André Ventura.

The leader of Chega spoke to journalists at a press conference in the Assembly of the Republic.

André Ventura indicated that Tiago Moreira de Sá will be part of Chega's list of candidates for the European Parliament "in second place". The list will be headed by former ambassador and vice-president of Chega, António Tânger Corrêa.

Tiago Moreira de Sá "was one of the faces of parliament in the last legislature in terms of international relations, European law and international law", he pointed out.

Ventura postponed the disclosure of the remaining names that make up the list of candidates for the European elections of June 09 to the next few days.

Asked if the list could include more figures linked to other parties, and in particular to the PSD, the leader of Chega replied that this will happen "almost certainly". Chega's lists for the legislative elections of March 10 already included several names previously linked to the PSD.

"I am increasingly convinced that Chega will win this year's European elections", he said, highlighting that the party presents "a strong candidacy, with international experience, with a recognized diplomatic and professional political career" and has a "winning dynamic that no other party has".

At this press conference, the president of Chega also criticized the choice of journalist and television commentator Sebastião Bugalho to head the AD list and former minister Marta Temido for the first place on the PS list, accusing these political forces of "lack of shame".

André Ventura considered that the choice of Sebastião Bugalho "generates some perplexity" because a few weeks ago "he was evaluating television debates between party leaders".

"Now he is a candidate for a list that was evidently already under negotiation at that time", he alleged, arguing that it is "evidence of the dangerous promiscuity that exists today between some media and the lists of political parties".

Ventura said that the PSD "failed to recruit the figure it wanted, Rui Moreira" and chose "second or third lines".

Regarding the choice of Marta Temido, the president of Chega accused the PS secretary-general of being "a very reckless leader" and of wanting to "divide the country even more", recalling that the former Minister of Health resigned in August 2022 following the problems and the closure of obstetric emergencies throughout the country.

André Ventura stated that currently "the worst segment in terms of public service is health" and that "this segment was represented and incorporated by Marta Temido during the vast majority of the socialist government", considering it "a bit perplexing and bizarre" that she was the choice for the PS list to the European Parliament.

Questioned by Lusa, the former social-democratic deputy confirmed that he had accepted the invitation from the president of Chega to join, as an independent, the party's list for the European elections.

"I confirm that I accepted the invitation with great pride and will soon talk more in depth about the matter", said Moreira de Sá, who in January had resigned from the list of the Democratic Alliance (AD) coalition to the Assembly of the Republic, after having been indicated in 25th place by the Lisbon constituency, ineligible.

At the time, he expressed special thanks to the former president of the PSD, Rui Rio, who had invited him to be a deputy in the XIV legislature, during which he was the party's coordinator in the Foreign Affairs Committee.

[News updated at 18:00]

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