The Socialists in Portugal want autonomy

In Portugal, too, the pre-election televised debate is a tradition and a self-evident sign of respect for the rules of parliamentary democracy. On Thursday, the two main contenders for the presidency came face to face: on one side Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who is running for re-election, and on the other Hui Chiu, leader of the so-called “Social Democratic Party” (PSD). in fact it belongs to the area of ​​the Center-Right.

Since 2015, Costa has ruled Portugal as head of a minority government, backed by smaller Left parties. In the early years, in times of Euro-crisis, left-wing parties supported the election of the Social Democrat prime minister. But now that the crisis is over, they have refused to co-sign another low-budget budget for 2022. So the ruling coalition disbanded and Antonio Costa appealed to the popular verdict. Early elections will be held on January 30.

“We all want the absolute majority”

But what will happen after the elections? The center-right of Chios accuses the socialist Costa of hiding his true intentions. “Mr. Antonio Costa does not specify what he will do, how he will react to any possible scenario,” Chios said in Thursday’s televised debate. “He says he deeply wants the absolute majority. I want the absolute majority too, we all want it. But the chances of winning it in this election are slim.”

And yet, Antonio Costa has a chance to win the absolute majority. A recent poll by Portugal’s state television (RTP) and the newspaper Publico put Costa’s Socialist Party (PS) at 39%, which translates to 113 seats out of a total of 230 in the country’s parliament. 116 seats would suffice for the absolute majority. But what will the current prime minister do if he does not achieve his goal? He does not seem to be worried. “What if I do not have the absolute majority? Obviously I will not turn my back on the Portuguese, I will not ignore the need to find solutions. We must do what we do when there is no absolute majority, that is, talk to others. parties in Parliament “.

Rather unlikely new collaboration with the Left

The Marxist Left Bloc (BE), the Communist Party (PCP) and the Greens (PEV) had supported the Social Democrat prime minister in the past. But they do not want to do the same in the future, especially since Antonio Costa is not using the billions in the Community Recovery Fund to increase social spending. But he also does not seem willing to continue with the same recipe. “The solution we have found so far, the unity of the Left, can not continue under the current circumstances,” the outgoing prime minister said in a televised debate on Thursday.

Giannis Papadimitriou (AP, AFP)

Source: Deutsche Welle