"As the President of the Republic has repeatedly stated, he does not comment on political party statements or newspaper reports", wrote Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in a note published on the Presidency of the Republic's website, after an audience with the leader of Chega focused on the outcome of the legislative elections on the 10th.
Before leaving the Palácio de Belém, André Ventura had stated that "the President of the Republic completely and categorically denied that he had expressed any intention of preventing Chega from being an integral part or leader or in any other way of the Government of the Republic".
According to Chega's leader, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa "categorically denied the information that he would have a preference for Chega not to be in the Government", maintaining that "it wouldn't make any sense, it's the people who choose".
The Democratic Alliance (AD), which brings together PSD, CDS and PPM, with 29.49%, won 79 deputies in the Assembly of the Republic, in Sunday's legislative elections, against 77 for the PS (28.66%), followed by Chega with 48 deputies elected (18.06%).
IL, with eight seats, BE, with five, and PAN, with one, maintained the number of deputies. Livre went from one to four elected representatives while the CDU lost two seats and was left with four deputies.