When militancy fails

Joining a party is, in itself, a commitment: a sense of mission and a desire to contribute to the common good. However, today we are witnessing the hollowing out of this founding matrix. Parties have become closed structures, hostage to internal formalities that stifle free thought and critical courage. Merit has come to be measured by loyalty, and power, when absolute, becomes detached from purpose.

The signs of erosion are undeniable. Declining participation, the difficulty in attracting new members, and growing levels of civic disengagement reveal the decline of trust in politics. Consider, for example, what happened in the last legislative elections in Portugal: the left became lost in a maze of uncertainties, and the PSD hesitates between its historical foundation and the temptation to align itself with the PS and Chega, running the risk of erasing its own identity.

In Madeira, this drift is equally evident. Parties become confused with the exercise of institutional power, concerned primarily with maintaining it at the expense of alliances and conveniences among those closest to them, often valuing outsiders more than insiders. Those who dare to think differently are silenced. Those who propose their own vision are stigmatized. Politics has, in fact, become an environment where critical thinking is often isolated and discredited, all in the name of supposed stability. When right is distorted and wrong normalized, it becomes legitimate to question whether the common interest is still, in fact, a priority.

It was this environment that led me to leave the PSD, where, for three decades, I served in youth organizations and various party structures, giving my best with intense and active activism. I leave with respect for the path the party has forged and transformed in Madeira, with admiration and gratitude for the essential influences in its history, from the popular and altruistic grassroots activist to the most distinguished leaders, such as Dr. Alberto João Jardim and Dr. Francisco Sá Carneiro, whose vision and dedication are indelibly linked to Madeira's identity. This remains with me and also remains in the party, as part of a legacy that cannot be taken away. But I leave with the conviction that there was no longer room for me to contribute. Activism had become obedience, criticism was seen as disloyalty, and silence had become a condition of permanence.

I haven't given up on civic and political involvement, nor on the causes I believe in. But there are personal, professional, and political limits that cannot be ignored. I want to continue contributing to free participation, where the value of people and ideas isn't a reason for exclusion, but rather for inclusion and development.

Politics cannot be reduced to relativism, slogans, and marketing. It must be more. It must be a noble function that listens, unites, and acts courageously, promoting real change in people's lives with integrity and passion.

When activism fails, individual responsibility for civic and political participation can never fail. We need positive spaces that matter again. That think of people. That offer solutions. That restore identity and meaning to voting and civic action. Society strengthens as participation increases, and parties and institutions are stronger the more open they are to everyone.