The 13th BE National Convention, which will elect the new party leadership, will end this Sunday with organ elections and a vote on two opposing proposals, with Mariana Mortagua expected to win.
This great meeting marks the end of the era of Catharina Martins at the helm of BE, and Saturday was marked by the last speech of the still coordinator, the first speech of Mariana Mortagua, criticism of the absolute majority of PS, controversy. in positions between two proposals regarding the war in Ukraine and internal criticism pointing to the lack of democracy in the party.
The ballot boxes in the National Council (in which 80 seats are up for grabs) and in the Commission of Rights do not close until 11:00, but the victory of Mariana Mortagua is almost certain, since thanks to her proposal, 81% of the delegates were elected to the convention, according to which it is they who vote as in national bodies and in proposals.
Thus, the main session should end with a presentation by Mariana Mortagua, a closing session that will bring together the government, Deputy Secretary of State to Prime Minister António Mendonça Mendez, and PS delegations through Deputy Secretary General, Joao Torres, and PS Lisbon Council President Marta Temido, as well as leaders PCP, Livre, PAN and PEV.
This year, unlike previous congresses where more political texts were discussed, only two proposals are presented.
Proposal A by Mariana Mortagua presented the National Council with a list of succession and with little change in relation to the last congress, where Catarina Martins, Pedro Filipe Soares, Marisa Matías or Luis Fazenda will remain, while the former deputy Luis Monteiro will return.
As for the E movement, the criticism directed, number one is the former deputy Pedro Soares, with UDP history Mario Tomé in 18th place, followed by Prof. Rui Cortés.
In her speech introducing the proposal, Mariana Mortagua defended that “taking the country seriously” – which is the motto of this convention – is to tell the Portuguese that they are not doomed to “the humiliation” that “an absolute majority imposes”. believing that “the swamp is overcome by democracy.”
The leader candidate set it as the duty of the left to “rebuild strength, unite the social wills that do not give up the fight for a good life” and “be united and militant, speak clearly and mobilize the people.”
For his part, an opponent of the current leadership, Pedro Soares, considered that the “cunning” “continues to mark the political line” of the party, and criticized the blockade runners for being part of a delegation that visited Ukraine, repeatedly condemned, later by Mario Tomé.
Katarina Martins made her last speech as leader, which ended with a standing ovation, but she wanted to make it clear that this would not be a farewell, as she would continue to serve in both the National Bureau and the Political Commission.
As before, the coordinator was very harsh with PS Antonio Costa, whom she called “the stepfather of all populism”, and believed that the country’s structural problems had worsened because the socialists believed that by an absolute majority their “moment had come”.
Assuming that “last year’s electoral defeat left wounds”, Katarina Martins repeated the message that there are no regrets about coherence, leaving a sign to the generations of the party that “do not run into each other”, but “reinforce each other”, and recalled the legacy of the founders party and João Semedo.