Opinion of Portugal's "geringonça"

[Mike88]

The current Portuguese government solution has been in many international headlines lately as something the European left should try to recreate. The coalition between the PS/BE/CDU was called "geringonça" by former deputy PM and CDS leader Paulo Portas. The word "geringonça", in Portuguese, means something badly constructed or with a complex construction with low strength.

Although this solution has been remarkably stable (even more than PSD/CDS, and they are natural allies) surprising many pundits, many criticize the polices the coalition is putting forward. In terms of the deficit, the PS is even more austere than the PSD/CDS as they friezed payments to providers in hospitals and others facilities, cutted public investment in levels not seen in decades and raise many indirect taxes particularly on alcohol and tobacco to put the deficit bellow 3% (it ended the year between 2.1% and 2.3%). 

The leftwing parties, BE and CDU, are also very criticized for allowing many of these policies that they were totally against in the past and for being very quite and protective of the PM. As a result, some polls are showing that the support for the BE and CDU is declining in favour of the PS, particularly the BE.

As a result the PS and Mr Costa, are very strong in public opinion for 2 main reasons: First, he was successful in taming the BE and CDU and second, he transform himself as the only possible solution to govern Portugal. Why would people vote in the PSD or CDS when they would make similar policies to the PS and at the same time would have the total opposition of unions and leftwing movements, unlike the PS that has create a climate of "social peace"?

So, what to you think?

[Grand Wizard Lizard of the Klan]

Good solution from the point of view of PS and also Portugal in general but I think that media are kinda overcovering this issue - I mean that this is not that big deal to be honest.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Imperfect, but a good model that would be nice to see on a European level. Unfortunately, it would require coordination on the supranational scale to turn the EU into a genuinely radical organisation and save the eurozone from austerity, and that's not happening any time soon.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Disappointing.