The Left Bloc presents its policy platform
Leader Mariana Mortágua said the measures seek to “guarantee a good life for everyone living in Portugal”.
Last Saturday, Left Bloc (BE) leader Mariana Mortágua presented its policy platform (available here in pdf format) for the legislative elections on March 10.
She stressed that this is a “a platform to guarantee a good life for everyone who lives in Portugal”, “address the problematic legacy of the PS’s absolute majority,” and the country’s structural problems, namely privilege, poverty and exclusion.
Taxes
The Left Bloc believes that “no manager can earn in a month what a company worker earns in a year” and therefore proposes:
Reduction of VAT on electricity, gas and telecommunications (6%).
Increase in the specific deduction by 582 euros.
Solidarity tax on large fortunes (assets above 2,000 national minimum wages).
Windfall tax on excessive profits.
Fighting poverty
To attribute pensions above the poverty line for workers with 20 years of discounts.
Guarantee justice for those who retired early with cuts between 2014 and 2018.
Social Citizenship Income that unifies non-contributory support.
First phase: not covered by unemployment benefits and RSI.
Second phase: absorbs RSI and Social Unemployment Benefit, as a differential benefit.
Housing
The BE proposes “ceilings for rents, differentiated according to area and type, stability in rents and limits on the increase in rents, taking into account purchasing power”. In addition, there must be "more homes to live in".
Prohibit the sale of houses to non-residents (exceptions: Portuguese living abroad, foreigners living in Portugal and properties in low-density territories).
Limit Airbnbs.
Increase the construction of affordable housing 25%.
Immediate end to tax benefits for speculation and non-habitual residents.
Health
Regarding Health, also with the crisis in the NHS, the BE aims to "retain and increase professionals" through:
40% increase in salary and other incentives.
In 2025, an increase of three salary positions (minimum 150 euros).
Automatic progression, without quotas and competitions, and reinstatement of withheld points.
A reference nurse for each family and auxiliary health technicians in family health teams.
Oral health, psychology and nutritionists in the NHS.
Guaranteed access to IVG throughout the country.
100% medication reimbursement for people with incomes below the minimum wage.
Education
The BE says it is “against the degradation of public schools” and therefore defends:
Full recovery of teachers’ frozen service time:.
An extraordinary hiring programme for precarious teachers.
Compensation scheme for displaced teachers.
125,000 new places in a network of public preschools.
Wages
An interim increase in the minimum wage to €900 in 2024 with an annual update corresponding to inflation + 50 euros.
Minimum rest periods (24 hours when changing shift times).
At least two rest weekends for every six working weeks.
A subsidy for workers working shifts.
Reduce the age of retirement.
"New" labour market
The BE also wants to change the labour market by taking these ideas into the new legislature:
Reducing working hours.
Introduce a 35-hour working week.
Introduce a four-day week.
More time for children: paid leave of five days/year for parents.
Give back the holiday days “taken away by the right”.