Blocistas approve document from the leadership that expresses openness to a coalition with PS in Lisbon
This Sunday, the blockers approved, by a large majority, the document presented by the BE leadership, which establishes that the party will look for alternatives to the PS and PSD in local authorities but maintains openness to a coalition with the socialists in Lisbon.
This document was approved with 206 votes in favor and will still have to be ratified by the National Board, the party’s highest body between conventions.
The alternative global document, presented by a critical minority wing and signed by several elements that were part of Mariana Mortágua’s list at the party’s National Board, such as leaders Adelino Fortunato and former deputies Alexandra Vieira and Heitor de Sousa, ended up having only 26 votes in favor.
In total, four abstentions were announced.
The management’s proposal establishes that, in next year’s municipal elections, the BE “will seek, whenever possible, to create social alliances in local projects of political transformation to the left, alternative to the municipal governance of the PS and PSD”.
“Supported on predefined programmatic bases around the themes of housing, access to public services and climate transformation, the Left Bloc councils will evaluate the conditions and propose pre-election coalitions to the National Board with other progressive, environmentalist and left-wing forces ”, reads the text, which adds that “concrete dialogues at municipal level” have already started, namely with Livre.
The expanded leadership makes a point of specifying the case of Lisbon city hall, expressing openness to dialogue with left-wing parties, namely the PS, about a possible pre-election coalition that defeats Carlos Moedas (PSD).
“The evaluation of this candidacy, which must represent more than the mere sum of parties, is subject to the same programmatic criteria set out above, as well as the existence of protagonists capable of implementing them”, warn the blockers.
During the working days, this intention was not unanimous. Some blocists expressed disagreements about a possible local government coalition with the PS in Lisbon, with warnings of possible political dilution and a “bear hug” from the socialists.
In the global document approved today, which defines the party’s strategic direction, the BE Political Commission insists on criticizing the PSD/CDS-PP Government, demarcating itself from its policies, but also leaves reparations to the PS for making the State Budget viable for 2025, refusing to put “socialism in the drawer”.
Along the way, an alternative proposal was presented by an internal minority critical wing, with some critics considering that the party’s current model “is exhausted, both politically and organizationally”, “the unexplained changes in orientation and the dominant internal practice point to towards decadence and degeneration” and the current organization is “demotivated and demobilized”.
In the case of municipal elections, the document proposed the presentation of specific slates, which should include independents whenever possible.
The intention of securing places already won at the municipal level “should not override the logic of the more general political fight, not only against the right, but also against the mistaken policies of the PS and PCP”, said the text.
