Tiago Petinga / Lusa
This weekend, former judge Rui Fonseca e Castro assumed leadership of the far-right nationalist party, Ergue-te. José Pinto Coelho leaves office, 19 years later. Elections? “Democracy is a sham.”
During the 8th National Convention, which took place this weekend in Coimbra, under the motto “Uniting past and future”, the Rise up presented the new leader of the party.
Rui Fonseca e Castro replaces José Pinto Coelhowho had been leader since 2005, in a unanimous decision.
On the social network X, José Pinto Coelho, who became honorary president for life. The former leader writes that he was the one who “found a successor to whom he could pass testimony”.
Rise up has entered a new era.
I found a successor to whom I could pass testimony and, having created the conditions, we are much stronger.
I will always be on the front line and I am Honorary President for life.
The new President, Rui da Fonseca e Castro, has my full support.— José Pinto-Coelho 🇵🇹 🤚🏻 (@jpintocoelho60)
Asked, in the comments, if the transition process involved elections, José Pinto Coelho replied that “Democracy is a sham”.
Party prepares presidential candidate
The new party leader said that Ergue-te will prepare to participate in the 2025 municipal elections and its own candidacy for the 2026 Presidential elections, ruling out any support for the eventual candidate Admiral Gouveia e Melo.
In the legislative elections on March 10 this year, the party obtained 6,034 votes.
In his closing speech at the convention, – commonly known as the “denial judge” – he highlighted that he has a message of love, which encompasses “family, community and nation”considering that Portugal is in an accelerated process of destruction due to having “lost the notion of family and love”.
“Our life begins and ends in the family, which is where our love is concentrated. But family is not just our wife and children, it is also the community, the people of our area and our nation”, he declared.
