Mariana Mortágua is expected to remain within the top bodies, specifically the National Board, as her name is listed in an eligible position. She will leave the Portuguese Parliament at the end of December and plans to continue her professional activities as an assistant professor at ISCTE in the Political Economy department and as an integrated researcher in the field.
According to the program, the event will commence at 11:00 a.m. at the Casal Vistoso pavilion, following the delegates’ arrival from 9:00 a.m., with Mariana Mortágua’s address scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
The 14th Convention of the Left Bloc (BE) will approve its political strategy for the next two years, taking place during one of the most critical phases in the party’s history. The BE has seen a reduction in its electoral representation and recorded its worst ever legislative results this year, leading to a singular parliamentary presence for the first time since its founding.
On October 25, Mariana Mortágua announced her unavailability to seek re-election to the leadership role she assumed in 2023, citing the existing leadership’s failure to “generate a new political and electoral drive.”
At the beginning of January, former parliamentary leader and the party’s second-in-command on the Lisbon list in the last legislative elections, Fabian Figueiredo, will assume her position.
At 2:30 p.m., presentations will be made for the five political orientation motions: Motion A, “Resist to Turn the Game,” affiliated with the current leadership and led by José Manuel Pureza, and Motion S, “New Course,” which opposes it, includes some former supporters of Mortágua, such as leader Adelino Fortunato and former deputies Heitor de Sousa and Alexandra Vieira.
Also presented at the convention are Motion H, “Time to Restart,” C,” “More Bloc, Less Trends,” and B, “Rebuild for a New Political Cycle.” These motions express concerns over a lack of internal democracy and excessive decision-making centralization in bodies like the Secretariat.
The critique is not exclusive to opposing motions; some members affiliated with Motion A have submitted a text to the general meeting, cautioning the leadership that “the current formula is exhausted.”
To address these warnings, Motion A will propose a new tripartite model at the convention: in addition to a coordinator (a role not formally defined in the statutes), the BE’s political organization will include a parliamentary position and the creation of a new role, “secretary of organization.”
José Manuel Pureza is expected to be confirmed as coordinator, as Motion A secured the majority of convention delegates (498), followed by Motion S (55), H (19), C (13), and B (13).
