The Movement of Socialist Left was a Portuguese socialist party, founded shortly after the democratic Carnation Revolution

Carnation Revolution

The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...

.

The party has its roots in a group of Progressive Christians

Progressive Christianity

Progressive Christianity is the name given to a movement within contemporary Christianity characterized by willingness to question tradition, acceptance of human diversity with a strong emphasis on social justice or care for the poor and the oppressed and environmental stewardship of the Earth...

 and Radical Socialists that abandoned the Portuguese Democratic Movement/Democratic Electoral Commissions in 1970, still during the dictatorial regime led by Marcello Caetano. In 1974, the initial group was joined by a group dissident

Dissident

A dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. When dissidents unite for a common cause they often effect a dissident movement....

s from the Socialist Party

Portuguese Socialist Party

The Portuguese Socialist Party was a political party in Portugal.The party was founded in 1875. During its initial phase the party was heavily influenced by Proudhonism, and rejected revolutionary Marxism. The party suffered constant factional struggles...

.

The party only participated in two elections, both parliamentary elections, in 1975 and 1976, gathering 1.0% and 0.6% in each election, respectively.

Among the Party's top figures were César Oliveira, Jorge Sampaio, João Cravinho

João Cravinho

João Cardona Gomes Cravinho is a Portuguese politician. He served, among other positions, as member of the Portuguese Parliament , member of the European Parliament , and as the Portuguese Territory Administration Minister between 1995 and 1999. He is a member of the PS political party...

, Ferro Rodrigues

Ferro Rodrigues

Eduardo Luís Barreto Ferro Rodrigues is a Portuguese politician and economist.He was Minister for Social Security, and later for Public Works in the governments of António Guterres....

 and Augusto Mateus. The majority of the Party's members would later join the Socialist Party, Jorge Sampaio would become the President of Portugal

President of Portugal

Portugal has been a republic since 1910, and since that time the head of state has been the president, whose official title is President of the Portuguese Republic ....

 in 1996 and Ferro Rodrigues

Ferro Rodrigues

Eduardo Luís Barreto Ferro Rodrigues is a Portuguese politician and economist.He was Minister for Social Security, and later for Public Works in the governments of António Guterres....

 would become the leader of the Socialist Party.

During its short existence the MES published several newspapers and magazines, such as: Esquerda Socialista, Poder Popular, Acção Sindical, Informação Militante and A Luta Continua.

Electoral Results

Results in Parliamentary Elections (year links to election article)
Year	Coalition	Type of Election	Voting	%	Mandates
1975	none	Constituent Assembly	58,248	01.0%	0
1976 Portuguese legislative election, 1976 The Portuguese legislative election of 1976 took place on April 25, exactly one year after the previous election, and two years after the Carnation Revolution...	none	Portuguese Parliament Assembly of the Republic The Assembly of the Republic is the Portuguese parliament. It is located in a historical building in Lisbon, referred to as Palácio de São Bento, the site of an old Benedictine monastery...	31,332	00.6%	0

(source: Portuguese Electoral Commission)