Extreme-Right Party Ergue-te Withdraws Lisbon Candidacy Amid Dissolution Process

The Ergue-te party, currently undergoing dissolution by the Constitutional Court, has decided to withdraw its candidacy for the presidency of the Lisbon City Council in the upcoming local elections. José Pinto Coelho, the honorary president of the party, confirmed this decision to Lusa, stating that participating in the elections would be "meaningless."

The candidacy of Ergue-te in Lisbon for the local elections on October 12 is now void. The nationalist, far-right party had initially presented its candidacy in February, with José Pinto Coelho as the lead candidate. Coelho had prioritized "ending multiculturalism" in the capital as a key campaign point.

Coelho has a history of running for the Lisbon City Council presidency, having done so in 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2017 under the banner of the National Renewal Party (PNR), the predecessor to Ergue-te. He mentioned that the party had decided to focus all efforts on Lisbon for the local elections, without plans to field candidates in other municipalities.

The dissolution process of Ergue-te, led by Rui Fonseca e Castro, is not yet finalized, pending the publication of the Constitutional Court's ruling. Coelho hinted at the emergence of a new party post-elections, assuring that nationalists would not be left without political representation.

On June 12, the Constitutional Court confirmed the dissolution process of Ergue-te following a request from the Public Ministry due to the party's failure to submit financial accounts for 2019, 2020, and 2021. Fonseca e Castro acknowledged the oversight but mentioned efforts were underway to rectify the situation. He described the dissolution as the "final blow" to an already weakened party.

With Ergue-te's withdrawal, the race for the Lisbon City Council presidency includes candidates from various parties, highlighting a diverse political landscape for the October elections.