Miguel PORTAS

Graduate in economics (Higher Institute of Economics and Management, Lisbon, 1986). Cultural organiser for Ourique Municipal Council (1984). Socio-cultural organiser in the Algarve (interior area) and trainer of development agents (1987). Journalist by profession. Editor of the cultural magazine Contraste (1986). Journalist on the weekly Expresso (1988 and 1992/1994, as international editor for its magazine section). Editor of the weekly Já (1995). Reporter for the magazine Vida Mundial (1998-1999). Columnist for the daily Diário de Notícias (2000-2006) and for the weekly Sol (since 2008). Co-director and presenter of two TV documentary series, Mar das Índias (2000) and Périplo (2004), on the Mediterranean. Has published three books: E o resto é paisagem ['The rest is scenery'] (2002), a collection of articles, essays, and interviews; No Labirinto ['In the labyrinth'] (2006), about Lebanon; and Périplo ['Voyage'] (2009), about the Mediterranean.

Political career: joined the Union of Communist Students (in 1973) and served on its Central Committee (1974). Left the Communist Party in 1989 and co-founded the Left Platform (1989). In 1990 and 1991 acted as cultural and city planning adviser to the Mayor of Lisbon. In 1994 founded 'Política XXI', one of the groups that was later (in 1999) to form the basis of the Bloco de Esquerda (Left Bloc). Headed the Left Bloc list for the 1999 European Parliament elections, which obtained 1.74% of the vote. In 2004 became the first Left Bloc MEP, the party's share of the vote having risen to 4.92%. In 2009 again headed the European election list. The Left Bloc polled 10.73% of the vote, and three of its candidates were elected.