José Manuel Pureza Leads Bid for Bloco de Esquerda Leadership in High-Stakes Party Convention

José Manuel Pureza Steps Up as Candidate for Bloco de Esquerda Coordination

Former deputy José Manuel Pureza is set to head the lists for "Motion A" to the National Board and Political Commission of the Bloco de Esquerda (BE), positioning himself to succeed Mariana Mortágua as the party's coordinator.

According to lists accessed by the Lusa news agency and approved this afternoon in Coimbra during a meeting of bloc supporters of Motion A—previously led by Mariana Mortágua—José Manuel Pureza appears as the top candidate for the National Board, the highest body between conventions, and the Political Commission, which handles the party's daily direction.

The leader who heads the most-voted list for the National Board at the National Convention, scheduled for November 29 and 30, typically assumes the role of coordinator, even though this position is not formally defined in the party's statutes.

José Manuel Marques da Silva Pureza, aged 66 and born in Coimbra, was first elected as a deputy for this electoral district in 2009, serving until 2011, then again from 2015 to 2019, and most recently from 2019 to 2022.

During his tenure, he held roles such as parliamentary leader and even served as vice-president of the Assembly of the Republic. Currently, he is a member of the BE's National Board and ran for the Coimbra Municipal Council this year.

In second place on the list for the National Board is Isabel Pires, followed by Fabian Figueiredo, former parliamentary leader of the bloc, Marisa Matias, and João Curvêlo (who is not currently part of this body).

Mariana Mortágua appears sixth on the list, which also includes names already in this body, such as Joana Mortágua, José Soeiro, presidential candidate Catarina Martins, Pedro Filipe Soares, Jorge Costa, Adriano Campos, and Andreia Galvão (who recently replaced Mortágua in parliament), among others.

Out of a total of 80 names, there are new candidacies to the National Board, including former MEP Anabela Rodrigues, and other bloc members like Daniel Borges, Lisbon councilor Carolina Serrão, António Soares, Joana Neiva, or municipal deputy Maria Escaja.

From the list for the Political Commission, also headed by José Manuel Pureza, the current coordinator Mariana Mortágua (who is only running for the National Board) is stepping down, along with key leaders from the core group who are not seeking re-election, such as Jorge Costa, José Gusmão, Leonor Rosas, Pedro Filipe Soares, or Moisés Ferreira.

Several current directors are seeking re-election, including Fabian Figueiredo, Isabel Pires, Catarina Martins, Andreia Galvão, Joana Mortágua, José Soeiro, Marisa Matias, and Miguel Cardina.

Among the candidates not currently in the leadership are bloc members like Bruno Góis, Daniel Borges, João Curvêlo, Mafalda Brilhante, or António Soares, among others, from a total of 11 positions.

The list for the Rights Commission is headed by Bárbara Ranito.

In addition to Motion A, which has gathered around 600 subscribers, four other opposition texts have been submitted for the 14th National Convention of the BE, pointing to a lack of internal democracy and calling for more attention to the grassroots.