Left Block (Portugal)

Bloco de Esquerda

Last modified: 2014-12-12 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: politics | bloco de esquerda | be | left block | star with head |
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• Description of the flag
• Presentation of B.E.
• Earlier designs
• Variations

• Portuguese political flags
• Portugal

Description of the Flag

Today, this is the flag that is, by far, more often seen and can be regarded as the flag of the party. Other variations still pop up now and then, though, including the older flags.
Jorge Candeias, 27 Jun 2002

The symbol could be described as a 4-pointed distorted star with a disc above, producing the sketch of a human figure with open arms and legs.
Jorge Candeias, 20 May 1999

The symbol has been since the beginning the “star with head”, reflecting their slogan about “intelligent left”. The placement of this symbol in the flag (always monocoloured) and the colours of symbol and flag, however, have varied.
Jorge Candeias, 27 Jun 2002

Presentation of B.E.

The Left Bloc, currently the 5th Portuguese party, with 3 MPs, arose recently as a mix between a traditional coalition and a traditional party, joining together a number of left wing organizations formally and traditionally identified with trotskist and maoist versions of marxism. Since it’s creation, however, the bloc has not ideitified itself theoretically with any particular political area within the left, but has been defending some traditional left-wing ideals such as ecological awareness, pro-choice ideas, anti capitalist globalization, anti-fascism in it’s newest corporizations in lepenism, etc., pro-minorities, pro-immigrants, etc.
Jorge Candeias, 27 Jun 2002

This left-wing coalition (U.D.P., P.S.R. and Política XXI) did constitute itself as a party already [avoiding thus the law that prescribes that coalitions must not run under a coalition symbol, rather using the emblems of all coalition members], adopting the name Bloco de Esquerda.
Jorge Candeias, 20 May 1999

All movements that joined to create the Left Bloc have maintained their existence and structures intact. The Left Bloc was, thus, created half as a coalition half as a new and innovative type of party to serve as umbrella to a number of left-wing organizations that aren’t restricted to the three parties that officially composed it.
Jorge Candeias, 23 Jun 2002

Earlier designs

Red on black

It’s black with the symbol in red at the center and "BLOCO de ESQUERDA" below, also red.
Jorge Candeias, 20 May 1999

Black on red

In the early days, all flags had the symbol centered, above the name of the party, usually in capitals. There where two versions: one with red symbols on a black cloth, and the other one, more often seen, with black symbols on a red cloth.
Jorge Candeias, 27 Jun 2002

Later on, flags with the symbol shifted to the fly began to appear and the red background variation became dominant.
Jorge Candeias, 27 Jun 2002

Variations

White letters

Black flag, with red symbol shifted to the fly and the name in white.
Jorge Candeias, 27 Jun 2002

Letters in two lines

Red flag, with the symbol centered and the name in two lines, all in black.
Jorge Candeias, 27 Jun 2002

Shifted to hoist