page_title: Left Bloc
section_title: First parliamentary representation
hierarchical_section_title: Left Bloc / History / First parliamentary representation
caption_attribution_description: English: Marisa Matias
context_page_description: The Left Bloc is a left-wing political party in Portugal founded in 1999. It is often in print abbreviated to BE, but its name is usually said in full or colloquially abbreviated as O Bloco.
  Notable members have included Fernando Rosas, Francisco Louçã, and Miguel Portas. The party's current spokesperson is Catarina Martins.
context_section_description: At the 1999 election B.E. received 2.4% of the votes leading them to enter the Assembly of the Republic for the first time with 2 MPs for the Lisbon constituency. These were Francisco Louçã and Fernando Rosas.
  At the 2005 election B.E. received 6.5% of the votes winning them 8 MPs. In the Portuguese 2006 presidential elections, the Left Bloc's candidate, Francisco Louçã, received 288,224 votes (5.31%).
  In the 2009 European election they received 10.73% winning them 3 MEPs. They also surpassed the CDU for the first time in an election. At the subsequent 2009 national election, the party obtained 9.81% of votes and 16 members of parliament in the 230-seat Assembly of the Republic.
  The Financial crisis led socialist prime minister Sócrates to agreeing into a bailout memorandum with the Eurogroup. In the subsequent 2011 snap election, the country saw a massive shift to the right, with the Left Bloc losing nearly half of its previous popular support, obtaining only 5.17% of the vote and 8 members of parliament. This defeat is generally attributed to the partial support certain sections of the party appeared to offer the unpopular Socialist government while the latter pursued an austerity programme in response to the financial crisis.
caption: Marisa Matias, Left Bloc MEP (since 2009)
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