An open letter published online and addressed to members, supporters, and leaders of PAN features 35 signatories, including former leaders Anabela Castro, Nuno Pires, Miguel Queirós, and Carolina Pia, emphasizing that they all have a history within PAN. They recall the foundation of the People-Animals-Nature political project in 2009.
“The current leadership has been distancing itself from the founding values of PAN, consistently making decisions contrary to the party’s genesis and incomprehensible in light of its principles. The choices made are based purely on a strategy of political survival, where the ends have begun to justify the means,” they criticize.
The signatories, including several who resigned from leadership roles in recent months, argue that the current leadership “does not face its own errors and failures” and has experienced a mandate marked “by internal discontent, various political defeats, power struggles that have become more important than the party’s mission, and a culture of avoiding internal criticism.”
Regarding the municipal elections on October 12, the signatories point to “the absence of a coherent strategy” resulting “in arbitrary coalitions without ideologically comprehensible criteria, based on promises of positions or lack of their own political projects.”
“There are coalitions, natural in democracy, that are acceptable because they are formed with political forces whose values can converge with PAN. However, completely incomprehensible are coalitions with parties that are ideologically opposed and distant, especially those that allow environmental crimes or promote bullfighting,” they stated.
PAN is involved in coalitions with PSD and IL in Sintra and with these two parties and CDS-PP in Faro, for example.
The signatories call for a collective reflection and evaluation of the current direction, “before it is too late and PAN disappears or transforms into another political and social ideology.”
“Without fear of change. It is necessary to remember that PAN is more than the sum of its people and that its ideology is more important than any kind of interests,” they affirm.
The signatories assure their continued “commitment to the values and mission of PAN in Portuguese society” and make what they describe as “a simple and ambitious appeal.”
“Evaluate the path that has been taken, reposition the party in its ideological matrix, whether in strategic thinking or communication, and rebuild PAN from this evaluation and sense of mission. Listen, with humility, to those who remain and those who have distanced themselves because they no longer identify with the current PAN,” they request.
They pose a question: “Is PAN still faithful to the principles it claims to defend? Is PAN supporting the causes or discrediting them?”
The open letter concludes by urging that “all voices be heard—especially those that remain true to the original project and do not identify with the current course.”
“We believe a new path is possible and that PAN can—and should—again be the beacon that lights the future (…) Let us make ourselves heard, with the hope that PAN can achieve its mission! It’s time!” they appeal.
On Saturday, when confronted with recent internal resignations, PAN spokesperson Inês Sousa Real stated that the departures were of individuals who “were not committed” either to its agenda or to the party.
