Pureza warns of weakened companies
José Manuel Pureza said that the fight against the government's package will be 'a long process, with several stages' and assures that the Left Bloc (BE) will not allow the issue 'to die down in the public debate'.

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José Manuel Pureza said that the fight against the government's package will be 'a long process, with several stages' and assures that the Left Bloc (BE) will not allow the issue 'to die down in the public debate'.

The left-wing party Bloco de Esquerda has voiced strong objections to reports that the Portuguese government may attend a summit organised by Israel.

The Left Bloc will call on voters to back António José Seguro in the second round of the presidential election. The announcement was made this morning by the party coordinator at a conference reviewing the election results.

Catarina Martins did not even reach the minimum threshold for public funding. She says she will continue working to elect a woman to the presidency at Belém Palace.

The lowest result came in the district of Bragança, where the candidate backed by the Bloc received just 1.09%

Catarina Martins has ended her presidential bid, receiving support from all the main figures of the Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda).

“I have already congratulated António José Seguro on his result and told him that he can count on my vote in the second round against André Ventura,” she revealed.

Catarina Martins accepts the defeat and a result “well below what she had expected.” The former leader of the Left Bloc speaks of a “radicalised right, in reconfiguration and Trumpisation” and says the only “appropriate response is to vote for António José Seguro in the second round, with eyes wide open.” See the full speech here.

The candidate backed by the Left Bloc (BE) admits she achieved a result below what she expected, declares her support for António José Seguro and stresses that “Marques Mendes's catastrophe is the Government's catastrophe”.

Catarina Martins lamented the result of her candidacy and the “radicalisation of the right” in Portugal. The candidate backed by the Left Bloc called for a vote for António José Seguro in the second round, as a response to the “reconfiguration and trumpisation”.

After casting her vote, the candidate supported by the Left Bloc urged the Portuguese to turn out to vote and help tackle abstention.

The leader of the Left Bloc stood alongside the presidential candidate at the Guimarães Market. They describe her as a “bulwark of hope”.
According to José Manuel Pureza, Catarina Martins's candidacy, and the campaign she has run over recent weeks, reflect the Left Bloc's political project and reinforce it.

Catarina Martins says there are many candidates who are good at crunching numbers but that, taken together, they have no idea for the country. The candidate backed by the Left Bloc visited Guimarães Market this morning, accompanied by Francisco Louçã and José Manuel Pureza.

Pureza acknowledged that the outcome for Catarina Martins — likely referring to her result in an election or internal party process — will play a significant role in shaping the future direction of the Left Bloc (BE).
José Manuel Pureza says the outcome for Catarina Martins will be significant for the future direction of the Left Bloc (BE).

The Left Bloc took part in Tuesday's demonstration and said that only with 'a very strong movement' can the government led by Montenegro be challenged in discussions over the labour package.

Catarina Martins says she will always vote against “indecency and savagery” in a possible second round. The presidential candidate, supported by the Left Bloc, also urges voters not to lend their vote to those who might betray them the next day.

Asked about Cotrim Figueiredo’s position — who said the leader of Chega had softened his rhetoric and seems like a different politician — Catarina Martins stressed that “people are their journeys”.

In 2021, MP Pedro Frazão published a video of a young woman who reported non-consensual sexual acts by a member of the Left Bloc, implying it was José Manuel Pureza, who was then vice-president of the Assembly of the Republic and is now the party's coordinator.

At lunch, several Left Bloc figures join Catarina Martins.
The candidate backed by the Left Bloc said there is a competition among them for the prime minister's 'affection'.

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.
The Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda) has presented a draft resolution urging the Portuguese Government to condemn any military intervention in Venezuela.