Left-wing political party in Portugal
The
Left Bloc
(
Portuguese
:
Bloco de Esquerda
,
pronounced
[?bl?ku
ð?
???ke?ð?]
,
BE
),
[18]
colloquially shortened as
O Bloco
, is a
left-wing populist
,
democratic socialist
political party
in
Portugal
founded in 1999. It is currently led by
Mariana Mortagua
.
[19]
History
[
edit
]
Formation and early history
[
edit
]
The Left Bloc was formed in 1999 by the merger of the
Marxist
People's Democratic Union
,
Trotskyist
Revolutionary Socialist Party
, and the
democratic socialist
Politics XXI
.
[20]
It has had full party status since its founding, yet the constituent groups have maintained their existence as individual political associations, retaining some levels of autonomy in a loose structure. In the
1999 legislative election
the BE polled at 2%. In
2002
this rose to 3%.
[
citation needed
]
First parliamentary representation
[
edit
]
In the
1999 election
BE received 2.4% of the votes leading them to enter the
Assembly of the Republic
for the first time with 2
MPs
for the Lisbon constituency. These representatives were Francisco Louca and Fernando Rosas. In the
2005 election
BE received 6.5% of the votes winning them 8
MPs
. In the
2006 presidential elections
, the Left Bloc's candidate,
Francisco Louca
, received 288,224 votes (5.31%).
[
citation needed
]
In the
2009 European Parliament election
they received 10.73% winning them 3
MEPs
. They also surpassed the
CDU
for the first time in an election. At the subsequent
2009 national election
, the party obtained 9.81% of votes and 16 members of parliament in the 230-seat
Assembly of the Republic
.
The
financial crisis
led socialist prime minister
Socrates
to agree to a
bailout memorandum
with the
Eurogroup
. In the subsequent
2011 snap election
, the country saw a massive shift to the right, with the Left Bloc losing nearly half of its previous popular support, obtaining only 5.17% of the vote and 8 members of parliament. This defeat is generally attributed to the partial support certain sections of the party appeared to offer the unpopular Socialist government while the latter pursued an
austerity
program in response to the
financial crisis
.
[
citation needed
]
Renewal, split and recovery
[
edit
]
The historical merger of ideologies that gave rise to the Portuguese Left Bloc was a process that lasted sixteen years. Its main actors aged and times changed, which led to an awareness of the need for modernization and realism.
Francisco Louca
is one of the founders who most insisted on restricting theory to the basic
humanistic
and
ethical
principles common to partisans and supporters in order to conquer a wider range of constituencies. The game would necessarily be played in the framework of
democracy
, active
participation
and defence of
human rights
. After thirteen years of intensive labor as a leader, Louca quit the position of party chairman in 2012 arguing that "it is time for renewal" and delegating his functions to a man and a woman.
[21]
Catarina Martins
, 39 years old, and Joao Semedo, a veteran, would be elected co-chairmen of the party on 11 November 2012. However, the renewal process would last for over one year.
[22]
In early 2014, the Left Bloc suffered a split, when elected Left Bloc MEP
Rui Tavares
, who already in 2011 had become an
independent
, founded left-ecologist
LIVRE
party. Left-wing intellectuals who had come together to the Manifesto 3D collective challenged the Left Bloc to converge with LIVRE towards a joined list in the upcoming
2014 European election
. Two official meetings in late 2014 and early 2015 however failed with the Left Bloc referring to programmatic differences with Tavares.
[23]
So while the severe
austerity
programs under prime minister
Passos Coelho
did backdrop on the Portuguese political right, the European election in May saw the
Socialists
and liberal
Earth Party
as relative winners, whereas the Left Bloc lost more than half of 2009's votes and two of its three mandates. LIVRE received 2.2% but failed to win any mandate.
In the
2015 legislative election
, the Left Bloc achieved 10.2% of the votes and elected 19 deputies, their best result in legislative elections ever, in what was considered a major upset.
[24]
On 10 November 2015, Catarina Martins signed an agreement with the
Socialist Party
that is aimed at identifying convergence issues, while also recognizing their differences.
[25]
The Bloc supported the minority Socialist
Costa Government
(2015?2019) with a
confidence and supply
agreement. The Socialist Party government would be re-elected in
2019
, with the Left Bloc returning to opposition. The party voted against the 2022 budget, triggering
an election
in January of that year. The Left Bloc would lose 14 seats, reducing them to five, and over half of their popular vote from 2019 ? tactical voting for the Socialist Party and the Left Bloc's opposition to the budget were blamed. The Socialist Party would be re-elected with a majority government.
On 14 February 2023, Catarina Martins announced she would leave the Left Bloc's leadership.
[26]
In the 13th Convention of the Left Bloc, on 27 and 28 May 2023,
Mariana Mortagua
, one of the party's most well known deputies, was elected as the party coordinator with 83% of the votes.
[27]
After the
resignation of Antonio Costa
, the Left Bloc expected to gain seats and increase their voting share.
[28]
Despite that, in the
2024 legislative election
, the Left Bloc achieved a very similar result, keeping their five seats.
[29]
Following that poor result, and in light of
Luis Montenegro
's victory, Mariana Mortagua led negotiations with the remaining parties on the left (
PS
,
PCP
,
LIVRE
and
PAN
) in order to build an alternative to the
incoming right-wing government
.
[30]
Ideology, political position and policies
[
edit
]
The Left Bloc rose to prominence "following a successful
anti-austerity campaign
and its backing by a growing popular social movement."
[31]
It has been described as "Portugal’s biggest supporter of feminist, gay rights and anti-racist legislation" and been associated with the
New Left
.
[32]
It occupies a flexible and moderate position to the left of the
Socialist Party
(PS).
[33]
The Bloc has proposed a number of important laws on civil rights and guarantees, including the protection of citizens from racist, xenophobic, and homophobic discrimination, support for
same-sex marriage
, laws for the protection of workers and anti-bullfighting legislation. These included Portugal's first law on
domestic violence
, which was then passed in parliament with the support of the
Portuguese Communist Party
and the Socialist Party. In comparison to the Portuguese Communist Party, the Left Bloc has been described as "more
socially libertarian
".
[32]
At present, together with the PS, Left Bloc aims at "building a stable, long-lasting and reliable majority at the Parliament, in order to support the formation and subsequent action of a government committed to the change demanded through the ballot box". This purpose foreshadows changes taking place not only in the Iberian Peninsula but as in all European territory.
[34]
[35]
[36]
[37]
The Left Bloc has called for the legalisation of
cannabis
in Portugal.
[38]
The party attempted to pass legislation in Parliament regarding cannabis law reform in Portugal in 2013 and 2015, both of which were rejected by the then ruling
centre-right
coalition government.
[39]
In terms of economics the party advocates "greater state intervention in the economy in order to reduce inequalities", such as rises to the minimum wage.
[40]
[41]
It has also put forward "many legislative proposals defending salaries, pensions and the welfare state".
[42]
The party has been described by some sources as being
anti-capitalist
.
[9]
[10]
In September 2019, the party called for the minimum monthly wage to be raised to
€
650 for both the public and private sectors in January 2020.
[43]
Electoral results
[
edit
]
Assembly of the Republic
[
edit
]
Vote share in the Portuguese legislative elections
Election
|
Leader
|
Votes
|
%
|
Seats
|
+/-
|
Government
|
1999
|
Francisco Louca
|
132,333
|
2.4 (#5)
|
|
|
Opposition
|
2002
|
153,877
|
2.7 (#5)
|
|
1
|
Opposition
|
2005
|
364,971
|
6.4 (#5)
|
|
5
|
Opposition
|
2009
|
557,306
|
9.8 (#4)
|
|
8
|
Opposition
|
2011
|
288,923
|
5.2 (#5)
|
|
8
|
Opposition
|
2015
|
Catarina Martins
|
550,945
|
10.2 (#3)
|
|
11
|
Opposition
(2015)
|
Confidence and supply
|
2019
|
498,549
|
9.5 (#3)
|
|
0
|
Opposition
|
2022
|
244,603
|
4.4 (#5)
|
|
14
|
Opposition
|
2024
|
Mariana Mortagua
|
282,314
|
4.4 (#5)
|
|
0
|
Opposition
|
Presidential elections
[
edit
]
European Parliament
[
edit
]
Local elections
[
edit
]
Regional Assemblies
[
edit
]
Madeiran regional elections
Lists of lead party figures
[
edit
]
List of Party Coordinators
[
edit
]
List of Parliamentary leaders
[
edit
]
List of Members of the Assembly of the Republic
[
edit
]
16th Legislature (2024 ? present)
15th Legislature (2022 ? 2024)
14th Legislature (2019 ? 2022)
13th Legislature (2015 ? 2019)
12th Legislature (2011 ? 2015)
11th Legislature (2009 ? 2011)
10th Legislature (2005 ? 2009)
9th Legislature (2002 ? 2005)
8th Legislature (1999 ? 2002)
List of Members of the European Parliament
[
edit
]
10th Legislature (2024 ? present)
9th Legislature (2019 ? 2024)
8th Legislature (2014 ? 2019)
7th Legislature (2009 ? 2014)
6th Legislature (2004 ? 2009)
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Mariana Mortagua: De braco direito de Catarina Martins a lider do Bloco de Esquerda"
. 28 May 2023
. Retrieved
28 May
2023
.
- ^
"Bloco de Esquerda - Resultados da VII Conferencia de Jovens do Bloco de Esquerda"
.
www.bloco.org
.
- ^
"Bloco de Esquerda comemora decimo aniversario"
,
Publico (newspaper)
, 28 February 2009
, retrieved
21 August
2013
- ^
March, Luke (December 2011).
Radical left parties in Europe
. Routledge. p. 1801.
ISBN
9781136578977
.
- ^
a
b
"Where is Portugal's Radical Left? ? Global Politics"
. 11 February 2015
. Retrieved
7 January
2018
.
- ^
Wall, Derek (2010),
The Rise of the Green Left: Inside the Worldwide Ecosocialist Movement
, Pluto Press, p. 97
- ^
"Populism Report Q3 2018"
(PDF)
. Foundation for European Progressive Studies. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 27 March 2019
. Retrieved
27 March
2019
.
- ^
"Portugal's bright outlook offers Europe some hope"
.
Financial Times
. 25 August 2019. Archived from
the original
on 10 December 2022.
The alliance between Mr Costa's Socialist Party (PS) and further left groups such as the anti-establishment Left Bloc was considered tenuous when it was forged in 2015.
- ^
a
b
Ames, Paul.
"Antonio Costa's against-the-odds election triumph"
.
Politico
. Retrieved
18 February
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"What is the Left Bloc?"
.
esquerda.net
. 6 November 2015
. Retrieved
18 February
2022
.
- ^
"Country profile ? Portugal - Euroviews 2014"
.
www.euroviews.eu
. Retrieved
7 January
2018
.
- ^
- "Risque pays du Portugal : Politique"
.
Societe Generale
(in French)
. Retrieved
11 May
2019
.
- "Portugal - Political Parties - Elections"
.
perspective.usherbrooke.ca
(in French)
. Retrieved
11 May
2019
.
"Portugal : la coalition de droite conserve le pouvoir"
.
perspective.usherbrooke.ca
(in French). 26 October 2015
. Retrieved
11 May
2019
.
Deux autres partis de " gauche " etaient en lice pour les elections. Premierement, le Bloc de gauche, considere par le journal The Guardian comme etant une version portugaise du parti politique grec anti-austerite Syriza, a recolte 10,2% des suffrages (8).
- "Portugal, Le paysage politique"
.
BiblioMonde
(in French)
. Retrieved
11 December
2018
.
BE, le Bloc des gauches (Bloco da Esquerda) : formation regroupant l'extreme gauche portugaise depuis 1999. Influente dans les milieux intellectuels de la capitale, BE a obtenu 2,7% des voix et 3 deputes en mars 2002 (soit un siege de plus qu'en 1999). BE comprend notamment l'Union democratique populaire (Uniao Democratica Popular), le Parti socialiste revolutionnaire (Partido Socialista Revolucionario ) et Politica XXI.
.
- "When the Socialists came to power in 2015, they won the parliamentary support of two left wing parties, the Left Bloc and the Communists"
.
Reuters
. 31 July 2019.
- ^
- ^
EL-Parties
Archived
2016-06-29 at
archive.today
. Party of European Left (official website). Retrieved 2 June 2018.
- ^
"Erklarung der Konferenz der europaischen antikapitalistischen Linken"
. Archived from
the original
on 12 April 2016
. Retrieved
29 March
2017
.
- ^
"Organizations | Fourth International"
.
Fourth International
. Retrieved
28 May
2024
.
- ^
"Bloco de Esquerda - GUE/NGL - Another Europe is possible"
. GUE/NGL. Archived from
the original
on 1 January 2015
. Retrieved
31 December
2014
.
- ^
"Composicao dos Grupos Parlamentares/Partidos"
.
www.parlamento.pt
. Retrieved
21 February
2021
.
- ^
"Silva, E.C. & Lameiras, M.. Breve historia do Bloco de Esquerda. Publico / 100Folhas. ISBN 9789895451517"
.
Repositorio UM
. 2019.
hdl
:
1822/63093
. Retrieved
28 January
2022
.
- ^
"European Social Survey 2012 - Appendix 3 (in English)"
(PDF)
.
European Science Foundation
. 1 January 2014
. Retrieved
6 May
2014
.
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
Francisco
Louca deixa lideranca do Bloco ao fim de 13 anos
- News TSF, 18 August 2012
- ^
Portugal: Left Bloc in struggle to regain unity after convention
at
Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal
, 13 December 2014
- ^
Frederico Pinheiro (April 2014).
"Out of the Trap"
.
Luxemburg Online
. Retrieved
12 November
2015
.
- ^
"Bloco de Esquerda com o seu melhor resultado de sempre"
.
www.jornaldenegocios.pt
(in European Portuguese)
. Retrieved
11 April
2024
.
- ^
"Agreement signed between the Socialist Party and the Left Bloc"
.
Esquerda
. 6 November 2015
. Retrieved
20 November
2015
.
- ^
"Catarina Martins vai deixar lideranca do Bloco de Esquerda"
.
CNN Portugal
(in Portuguese)
. Retrieved
10 April
2024
.
- ^
SAPO.
"Mariana Mortagua e a nova coordenadora do Bloco de Esquerda: "Ainda nao viram nada da forca que sabemos criar, reinventar e unir"
"
.
SAPO 24
(in Portuguese)
. Retrieved
28 May
2023
.
- ^
"Eleicoes: Mortagua traca meta de recuperar deputados perdidos em distritos como Braga"
.
www.jm-madeira.pt
(in European Portuguese)
. Retrieved
10 April
2024
.
- ^
"Entre ser "alternativa" ou "oposicao mais combativa": Bloco de Esquerda cresce sem eleger mais e atira contra PS"
.
Expresso
(in Portuguese). 11 March 2024
. Retrieved
10 April
2024
.
- ^
Cunha, Mariana Lima.
"Bloco quer "construir uma alternativa" e convida esquerda para reunioes. PS e Livre ja aceitaram"
.
Observador
(in European Portuguese)
. Retrieved
10 April
2024
.
- ^
"Bloco's Anti-Austerity Gamble"
.
Jacobin
. 12 February 2015
. Retrieved
18 February
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"Left Bloc (BE)"
.
The Democratic Society
. 19 May 2014. Archived from
the original
on 28 May 2019
. Retrieved
26 August
2018
.
- ^
Conn Hallinan (5 November 2015).
"Portugal's Democracy Crisis"
.
Foreign Policy in Focus
. Archived from
the original
on 25 April 2019
. Retrieved
20 November
2015
.
- ^
Spain’s election will be felt across the whole continent
? article by
Owen Jones
at
The Guardian
, 18 December 2015
- ^
Governing Party in Spain Loses Majority in Parliamentary Election
? article by
Raphael Minder
at The New York Times, 20 December 2015
- ^
Splintered Spanish vote heralds arduous coalition talks
? news by
Julien Toyer
Archived
2015-12-28 at the
Wayback Machine
and
Sonya Dowsett
Archived
2019-04-25 at the
Wayback Machine
at
Reuters
, 20 December 2015
- ^
Parties in Spain Wrestle to Form a Government
? article by
Raphael Minder
at The New York Times, 21 December 2015
- ^
"Portugal Group Demands Freedom to Vote for Personal Use of Cannabis"
.
High Times
. 7 June 2022
. Retrieved
26 October
2022
.
- ^
"Portugal considers cannabis legalisation"
.
The Portugal News
. 20 December 2017
. Retrieved
26 October
2022
.
- ^
Martins, Paula (16 September 2021).
"Who are the main parties for the local elections?"
.
The Portugal News
. Retrieved
18 February
2022
.
- ^
"Making Portugal's Break With Austerity Real"
.
Jacobin
. 10 May 2019
. Retrieved
18 February
2022
.
- ^
"Factbox: Parties and leaders contesting Portugal's snap election"
.
Reuters
. 27 January 2022
. Retrieved
18 February
2022
.
- ^
"Left Bloc calls for minimum salary of €650"
.
The Portugal News
. TPN/Lusa. 13 September 2019
. Retrieved
26 October
2022
.
External links
[
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]
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Parties
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Observer parties
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Partner parties
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Former members
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Party presidents
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European Parliament
Group presidents
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Other prominent figures
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See also
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Eurofoundation:
Transform Europe
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International
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National
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Other
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