The founder and former leader of BE Francisco Louçã On the afternoon of this Saturday, November 29th, he praised Mariana Mortágua’s work at the head of the party and refused to attribute mistakes to her, highlighting José Manuel Pureza’s ability to “tear down walls” and “bring together currents”.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the XIV BE National Convention, Francisco Louçã said he had “huge appreciation” for what Mariana Mortágua did in leading the partypraising the “combativeness and extraordinary dignity” and one of the “most generous and extraordinary acts of Portuguese politics” which was joining a humanitarian flotilla for Gaza.
“I do not impute mistakes to Mariana. The Bloc suffered, lost in these elections. In the first election in which she participated, the vote increased. Then, in the political crisis caused by Montenegro, she had the strongest electoral defeat”, he replied, considering that what this major meeting will discuss is “how do you organize a left that is consistent with itself”.
About whether the former deputy José Manuel Pureza will be the right person to lead the party at this stage, Louçã considered him “a strong choice”with an experience, “like few people within the Bloc, of unitary work, of rapprochement between currents”.
“Not long ago he was discussing with Pope Francis the dialogue between Marxists and Christians. This is a pearl in the world. That he participated with Francisco Pinto Balsemão or Rui Rio or with so many other people in a movement to legalize assisted death is an expression that he is capable of throwing punches”, he emphasized.
The former BE coordinator is waiting to see the internal discussion regarding the “decision to go into combat where it is most difficult”.
“Today, young people are mostly on the extreme right. Hate speech has become trivialized in such a way that it has marred democratic life. This is a fight in which the left has to recover ground, it has to regain its strength, it has to recover its capacity for struggle and political expression”he defended.
For Louçã “perhaps this is such a profound change that it will require immense capacity, immense attention, immense curiosity and immense will”.
“It is necessary to speak to people’s intelligence, to their heart, to their soul and to their intelligence”, he stated.
The party’s founder dismissed the idea of BE’s disappearance, pointing out the “very strong roots” of the party, which “has a difficulty that is the same as the entire left”.
“I think it would be childish if there was someone on the left who was happy. The extreme right is the second party in Portugal, we have a fascist in the White House. If there is anyone who is happy they are not watching the film”, he warned.