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Portuguese Workers' Communist Party

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(Redirected from PCTP/MRPP) Communist political party in Portugal

Portuguese Workers' Communist Party/Re-Organized Movement of the Party of the Proletariat Partido Comunista dos Trabalhadores Portugueses/Movimento Reorganizativo do Partido do Proletariado
AbbreviationPCTP/MRPP
LeaderMaria Cidália Guerreiro
Founded1970
HeadquartersLisbon
Youth wingMarxist–Leninist Students Federation (until 1980s)
Ideology
Political positionFar-left
ColorsRed
Assembly of the Republic0 / 230
European Parliament0 / 21
Regional
parliaments		0 / 104
Local
Government		0 / 2,086
Election symbol
Party flag
Website
lutapopularonline.org
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The Portuguese Workers' Communist Party/Re-Organized Movement of the Party of the Proletariat (Portuguese: Partido Comunista dos Trabalhadores Portugueses/Movimento Reorganizativo do Partido do Proletariado, PCTP/MRPP) is a Maoist political party in Portugal.

History and overview

The party was founded in 1970 as the Movimento Reorganizativo do Partido do Proletariado (MRPP), led by Arnaldo de Matos. It changed its name to the Portuguese Workers' Communist Party in 1976.

The PCTP-MRPP has held a Maoist political orientation since its foundation. In 1971, the party began to publish a newspaper called "Luta Popular" (People's Struggle), directed by Saldanha Sanches. The party was among the most active resistance movements before the Carnation Revolution, especially among students in Lisbon. After the revolution, the MRPP achieved fame for its large murals. The party became intensely active during 1974 and 1975. At that time, the party boasted members who later became important political figures, including José Manuel Durão Barroso and Fernando Rosas, who subsequently left the party. The party, however, never managed to elect a single Member of Parliament in legislative elections.

During the revolutionary period of 1974 and 1975, the MRPP was accused by the Portuguese Communist Party of being an agent of the CIA, a belief that was fueled by cooperation between the MRPP and the Socialist Party against the communist program defended by the Portuguese Communist Party.

The party's youth wing, now extinct, was the Marxist–Leninist Students Federation, to which José Manuel Durão Barroso, a future Prime Minister from the centre-right Social Democratic Party, briefly belonged.

The party entered a phase of internal turmoil following the 2015 legislative elections, with its leader António Garcia Pereira leaving the party. Details about the internal functioning of the party became difficult to obtain, since none of the official contacts responded to contacts, and even the official headquarters seemed to no longer be functioning. An extraordinary congress was announced, but it is unknown if it really happened. Some sources claim the party is now operating at a clandestine level.

Despite this, the party contested the 2017 local elections, gaining 12,387 votes (0.24%) but losing the two council seats they held.

On 22 February 2019 Arnaldo Matos, founder and leader of the PCTP/MRPP since 1970, died.

Election results

Assembly of the Republic

Election Leader Votes % Seats +/- Government
1976 Arnaldo Matos 36,200 0.7 (#7) 0 / 263 No seats
1979 53,268 0.9 (#8) 0 / 250 Steady0 No seats
1980 35,409 0.6 (#11) 0 / 250 Steady0 No seats
1983 20,995 0.4 (#9) 0 / 250 Steady0 No seats
1985 19,943 0.3 (#9) 0 / 250 Steady0 No seats
1987 20,800 0.4 (#11) 0 / 250 Steady0 No seats
1991 António Garcia Pereira 48,542 0.9 (#7) 0 / 230 Steady0 No seats
1995 41,137 0.7 (#5) 0 / 230 Steady0 No seats
1999 40,006 0.7 (#6) 0 / 230 Steady0 No seats
2002 36,193 0.7 (#6) 0 / 230 Steady0 No seats
2005 48,186 0.8 (#6) 0 / 230 Steady0 No seats
2009 52,784 0.9 (#6) 0 / 230 Steady0 No seats
2011 62,683 1.1 (#6) 0 / 230 Steady0 No seats
2015 59,995 1.1 (#8) 0 / 230 Steady0 No seats
2019 Cidália Guerreiro 36,118 0.7 (#11) 0 / 230 Steady0 No seats
2022 13,016 0.2 (#11) 0 / 230 Steady0 No seats
2024 15,499 0.2 (#13) 0 / 230 Steady0 No seats

Presidential

Election Candidate Votes % Result
1976 Supported António Ramalho Eanes Won Green tickY
1976 Supported António Ramalho Eanes Won Green tickY
1986 No candidate
1991 No candidate
1996 No candidate
2001 António Garcia Pereira 68,900 1.9 (#5) Lost Red XN
2006 António Garcia Pereira 23,983 0.4 (#6) Lost Red XN
2011 Supported Manuel Alegre Lost Red XN
2016 Supported António Sampaio da Nóvoa Lost Red XN
2021 No candidate

European Parliament

Election Leader Votes % Seats +/-
1987 19,475 0.4 (#12) 0 / 24
1989 António Garcia Pereira 26,682 0.6 (#10) 0 / 24 Steady0
1994 24,022 0.8 (#5) 0 / 25 Steady0
1999 30,446 0.9 (#6) 0 / 25 Steady0
2004 Orlando Alves 36,294 1.1 (#5) 0 / 24 Steady0
2009 42,940 1.2 (#7) 0 / 22 Steady0
2014 Leopoldo Mesquita 54,708 1.7 (#8) 0 / 21 Steady0
2019 Luís Júdice 27,223 0.8 (#12) 0 / 21 Steady0

See also

Notes

  1. Portuguese pronunciation: [pɐɾˈtiðu kumuˈniʃtɐ ðuʃ tɾɐβɐʎɐˈðoɾɨʃ puɾtuˈɣezɨʃ ‖ muviˈmẽtu ʁi.ɔɾɣɐnizɐˈtivu ðu pɐɾˈtiðu ðu pɾulɨtɐɾiˈaðu]

References

  1. "Autárquicas 2017 - Resultados". www.eleicoes.mai.gov.pt. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  2. Botelho, Leonete (22 February 2019). "Morreu Arnaldo Matos, fundador do MRPP". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 20 April 2019.

External links

Political parties in Portugal Portugal
Parties represented in the
Assembly of the Republic (230)
Legislative Assembly of the
Azores Autonomous Region (57)
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Madeira Autonomous Region (47)
European Parliament (21)
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