Maria Cristina Pacheco Rodrigues (born 14 June 1985) is a Portuguese politician and lawyer. She was a member of the Assembly of the Republic for Setúbal between 2019 and 2022, representing People Animals Nature (PAN).[1] She was re-elected in 2024 as a member of Chega for the Porto constituency.
Cristina Rodrigues | |
|---|---|
 Cristina Rodrigues in 2024 | |
| Vice President of the National Jurisdiction Council of Chega | |
| Assumed office 14 January 2024 | |
| President | André Ventura |
| Member of the Assembly of the Republic | |
| Assumed office 26 March 2024 | |
| Constituency | Porto |
| In office 25 October 2019 – 28 March 2022 | |
| Constituency | Setúbal |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Maria Cristina Pacheco Rodrigues 14 June 1985 |
| Political party | Chega (2023–present) |
| Other political affiliations | PAN (2014–2020) Independent (2020–2023) |
| Alma mater | University of Lisbon |
| Occupation | Jurist • Politician |
Biography edit
Rodrigues has worked in victim support and as a pro bono lawyer for domestic violence victims and for members of Intervenção e Resgate Animal, an animal rights and rescue organisation.[2][3] In July 2019, she was chosen as list leader for People Animals Nature in Setúbal District, ahead of the elections in October.[2] She and three other women from PAN were elected, joining party leader André Silva in the Assembly of the Republic.[4]
On 25 June 2020, Rodrigues quit PAN, due to objections to Silva's alleged authoritarianism, and sat as an independent. She became only the second independent at the time, along with Joacine Katar Moreira, whose membership of Livre had been rescinded. Her resignation came days after that of PAN's only Member of the European Parliament, Francisco Guerreiro.[5] Later that year, she abstained, so that the state budget would pass, saying: "I will let it happen, but I won't vote in favour of it".[6]
On 23 March 2022, Rodrigues was announced as a new member of the legal department of the right-wing populist party Chega.[7] In 2023 she joined the party.[8]
In January 2024, she was announced as candidate number three, on Chega's Porto list for the 2024 legislative elections, behind Rui Afonso and Diogo Pacheco de Amorim.[9][10] She was elected.[11]
References edit
- ^ "Biografia" [Biography] (in Portuguese). Assembly of the Republic. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Cristina Rodrigues encabeça lista do PAN por Setúbal" [Cristina Rodrigues heads PAN list for Setúbal]. Diario do Distrito (in Portuguese). 24 July 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ SAPO. "Proximidade com Ventura dura há meses. Cristina Rodrigues, ex-IRA, foi quem mais votou a favor de propostas do Chega". Polígrafo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ^ Freire, Manuel Carlos (7 October 2019). "PAN: partido do deputado único é agora partido do homem único" [PAN: party with just one deputy is now party with just one man]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ Claro, Luís (28 June 2020). "O partido que encolheu em nove dias" [The party that shrank in nine days]. Sol (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ "Deputada não-inscrita Cristina Rodrigues vai abster-se. OE nas mãos do PAN" [Independent deputy Cristina Rodrigues will abstain. State budget is in the hands of PAN]. Público (in Portuguese). 26 November 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ Rodrigues, Sofia (23 March 2022). "Ex-deputada do PAN Cristina Rodrigues passa a assessora parlamentar do Chega" [Ex-PAN deputy Cristina Rodrigues becomes parliamentary consultant for Chega]. Público (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Ex-PAN Cristina Rodrigues já é militante do Chega (e é deputável)". www.sabado.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ Figueiredo, Inês André. "Ex-deputada do PAN Cristina Rodrigues é número três do Chega no Porto". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ^ "Cristina Rodrigues candidata pelo Chega, confirma Ventura". www.sabado.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ^ Malhado, Alexandre R.; Galha, Lucília (10 March 2024). "Cristina Rodrigues eleita pelo Chega. "É uma vergonha", ouve-se na sede do PAN" [Cristina Rodrigues elected for Chega. "It's a shame", overheard at PAN headquarters]. Sábado (in Portuguese). Retrieved 25 March 2024.
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