Constitutional Court upholds invalidity of PAN party elections

The Constitutional Court has rejected an appeal by the PAN political party, upholding a previous ruling that invalidated the election of the party's national bodies. This decision affects the legitimacy of the party's leadership, including its spokesperson, Inês Sousa Real.

The court found that the election was conducted by a “restricted set of structures” and an “institutionally incompetent structure,” which compromised the legal chain of legitimacy between members and the national organs. The ruling specifies that the procedural flaws must be corrected by the party itself.

In response, PAN has requested a meeting of its National Political Commission to analyze the ruling and determine next steps. The party stated that while it respects democratic institutions, it previously viewed the decision as disproportionate. PAN clarified to its members that the ruling does not nullify the entire Congress or strip elected officials of their current functions, but rather requires the party to rectify the identified procedural errors to restore legality.