During the closing speech of the 14th National Convention of BE, held today in Lisbon, José Manuel Pureza emphasized that this major gathering calls for constructing a party with “more militancy, better organization, deeper listening, more democracy, and improved integration with struggles and movements.”
“I tell you what I think, without hesitation or wavering: the Bloco needs to change its internal functioning to complement the formal democracy we are proud of with the militant participation that concretizes it,” he stated.
The new BE leader assured that this leadership will create conditions for the gathering of militants into cells and working groups, enabling a “more agile and consistent intervention in all struggles for justice and rights,” and the national committee “will be what it must be,” responsible for being a “forum for discussion and coordination of all forms of political intervention” of the party.
“And the Political Commission will be what it must be: the daily direction of the Bloco and the link with our representatives in the national and European parliaments, implementing the National Committee’s resolutions on political orientation,” he added.
The new BE coordinator argued that the party must “make its plurality its strength” and assured he will be “the first to listen to the entire party, across the country,” expressing confidence in the unity of all militants on this new path.
The first day of the proceedings was marked by multiple warnings from leaders and internal opponents about the need for BE to decentralize decisions, listen to its base, prioritize militant work, and reorganize—with particularly strong remarks from founder Fernando Rosas.
In an attempt to respond to some of these criticisms, Motion A presented a new tripartite model at the convention: in addition to the coordinator (a position not formally in the statutes), the political organization of BE will also include a member of parliament in the Assembly of the Republic and the creation of a new role, “secretary of organization,” which will be held by Isabel Pires.
