“Collectives only function as long as the collective works, and when it stops working, we need to recognize it and know when to step back,” said Pedro Fidalgo Marques, the leader of the People-Animals-Nature (PAN) party, in a phone interview. Marques was the lead candidate in the last European Parliament elections.
Pedro Fidalgo Marques assured that despite stepping down from the Permanent Political Commission, he will continue as a member of the PAN, maintaining a relationship he has had since 2021.
The former PAN lead candidate for the European elections emphasized that his resignation is “not an attack on anyone” but aims to “provoke reflection within PAN.”
Despite resigning from the Permanent Political Commission, Pedro Fidalgo Marques will remain on the National Political Commission, where he hopes his voice “can make a difference.”
The former PAN candidate for Oeiras Municipal Council presidency stated that his departure from the party body is unrelated to the recent resignations of Anabela Castro and Nuno Pires from internal positions or the results of Sunday’s elections.
“What matters is that PAN is elected and has a voice. Although it wasn’t the victory we hoped for, PAN is still alive and will remain so as long as its members continue to fight for it,” he noted.
On Friday, the spokesperson for the PAN, Inês de Sousa Real, stated that she has led the party with openness, asserting that she has a “more than clear conscience” and refuses to fuel what she considers to be “false and unfounded narratives” about her leadership.
Speaking to journalists after a 45-minute meeting with the President of the Republic at the Palácio de Belém, Inês de Sousa Real addressed news of resignations in her party, ensuring that her leadership “has always been marked by openness, dialogue, and participation.”
“I have a more than clear conscience as a leader, and I believe the Portuguese people know my way of being and acting. Therefore, I do not give weight to these narratives that are completely false and unfounded,” she stated when asked if she fears her leadership is weakened.
On the day of the legislative elections, two members of PAN’s national political commission, Anabela Castro and Nuno Pires, elected by the current leader Inês de Sousa Real’s list, resigned from the body, accusing the leadership of internal democracy disrespect, power centralization, and silencing critics.
