Portuguese Workers' Communist Party/Re-Organized Movement of the Party of the Proletariat
Partido Comunista dos Trabalhadores Portugueses/Movimento Reorganizativo do Partido do Proletariado
LeaderMaria Cidália Guerreiro
Founded1970
HeadquartersLisbon
Youth wingMarxist–Leninist Students Federation (until 1980s)
Ideology
Political positionFar-left
ColorsRed
Assembly of the Republic
0 / 230
European Parliament
0 / 21
Regional
parliaments
0 / 104
Local
Government
0 / 2,086
Party flag
Website
lutapopularonline.org

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)[lower-alpha 1] is a Maoist political party in Portugal.

History and overview

The party was founded in 1970 with the name 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.[1]

On 22 February 2019 Arnaldo Matos, founder and leader of the PCTP/MRPP since 1970, died.[2]

Election results

Assembly of the Republic

Election # of votes  % of vote # of seats Place
1976
36,200
0.66%
0
7th
1979
53,268
0.89%
0
8th
1980
35,409
0.59%
0
11th
1983
20,995
0.37%
0
9th
1985
19,943
0.34%
0
9th
1987
20,800
0.37%
0
11th
1991
48,542
0.85%
0
7th
1995
41,137
0.70%
0
5th
1999
40,006
0.74%
0
6th
2002
36,193
0.66%
0
6th
2005
48,186
0.84%
0
6th
2009
52,761
0.93%
0
6th
2011
62,610
1.12%
0
6th
2015
59,812
1.13%
0
8th
2019
36,006
0.69%
0
11th
2022 1
10,755
0.20%
0
14th

1 PCTP-MRPP had only presented lists to 9 electoral circles

European Parliament

Election # of votes  % of vote # of seats Place
1987
19,475
0.35%
0
12th
1989
26,682
0.64%
0
10th
1994
24,022
0.79%
0
5th
1999
30,446
0.88%
0
6th
2004
36,294
1.07%
0
5th
2009
42,940
1.20%
0
7th
2014
54,708
1.67%
0
8th
2019
27,223
0.82%
0
12th

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ It is pronounced [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. "Morreu Arnaldo Matos, fundador do MRPP". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 20 April 2019.
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