Pedro Pardal Henriques, the man who everyone came to know as the spokesperson for the country’s striking truckers, is pursuing a career in politics and has announced he is stepping down as the face of the SNMMP truckers’ union.
In a statement sent to newsrooms, the lawyer confirmed he has “accepted an invitation to be the head of the Lisbon list of the PDR (democratic republican) party”, led by politician Marinho e Pinto, in Portugal’s upcoming legislative elections.
Pardal Henriques also guaranteed he will remain the legal representative of the union of drivers of dangerous materials and many other syndicates.
“I came to this decision after thinking hard about it and discussing it with my family, and I did so as I aim to be an active voice for all the causes that I have been defending, and which I believe are not represented today in the Portuguese Parliament,” the lawyer said.
“Those who do not know how to attack me anymore will say, as they already have, that I wanted to take advantage of the truckers’ plight to promote myself.
However, those who know me are fully aware that I have been defending this case since 2017 and that it was never my goal to start a political career,” he said.
Marinho e Pinto, leader of the PDR party, has already praised Pardal Henriques.
“He is an example for many people and was the symbol of one of the most important union fights that this country has seen after the 25 de Abril Revolution,” he told Rádio Observador.
