An actress by profession, an active voice in social causes, civic and political movements, and with a long career in national and European politics, Catarina Martins is standing for the Presidency of the Republic for the first time. She is the only woman in the race for Belém and promises to 'look after democracy' in a campaign in which the former coordinator of the Left Bloc wants there to be 'room for all voices' and space to tackle social inequalities, as well as to protect public services and value culture.
Catarina Martins wants to 'look after democracy' and be the first woman in Belém
Friday, 9 January 2026RSS
Context & Explainers

- Leader: Currently vacant (Mariana Mortágua resigned October 2025)
- Ideology: Democratic socialism, left-wing populism
The Left Bloc achieved its worst result in history in 2025, dropping from 5 seats to just 1. Mariana Mortágua, who led the party from May 2023, resigned in October 2025 after failing to reverse the party's electoral decline. Founded in 1999 as a coalition of far-left parties, BE was once the third-largest force in Portuguese politics and a key partner in the 2015-2019 Geringonça government.




