It's not for nothing that dictators hate artists. Perhaps art, or the kind of art that deserves the name, is a weapon capable of killing not the fascists themselves, but the fascist ideology. Opinion by Fernanda Hamann
Catarina and the beauty of killing fascists
Saturday, 17 January 2026RSS
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Context & Explainers
- Leader: Rui Tavares
- Ideology: Green left-wing politics, libertarian socialism
LIVRE (meaning "Free") is a green left-wing party founded in 2014 by historian and former MEP Rui Tavares. The party struggled for years before finally electing Tavares as its first MP in 2022, then grew to 4 seats in 2024 and 6 seats in 2025—making it the only progressive party to gain ground in recent elections. LIVRE focuses on environmental protection, human rights, and progressive social policies while maintaining a pro-European stance.
If you need emergency care and a local ED is understaffed, call 112 for life‑threatening situations or contact the national health triage line (SNS 24) for urgent guidance; the operator can direct you to the nearest hospital with capacity or arrange an ambulance. As an expat, also consider local private hospitals or clinics if available and keep your health insurance details and ID ready to speed up admission.
Catarina Martins is a prominent left‑wing politician who served as national coordinator of the Bloco de Esquerda ("Bloco de Esquerda") for many years and remains an influential figure on the Portuguese left. The Bloco is a progressive, parliamentary party that pushes for social justice, workers' rights and strong welfare policies; it has been a regular coalition or support partner in left‑leaning governments and shapes debates on issues like housing, health and foreign policy.
- 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.
A public–private partnership (parceria público-privada) is a long-term contract where the public sector hires a private company to build, operate or maintain public infrastructure while the state pays over time. For the Algarve Central Hospital this matters because the initial investment is reported at more than €420 million but the total charge to the state will be about €1.1 billion, meaning taxpayers fund construction and long-term service payments (often over 20–30 years) rather than a one-off public purchase.
