🇵🇹 Portugal's politics and elections 2.0

[Mike88]

Another "negative coalition" against the government: Parliament approves wage raises for diagnostic technicians in the NHS against the government's wishes.

https://twitter.com/AEIOU_pt/status/1384802869136740352

Opposition raises diagnostic technicians' salaries by default from the Government

In another vote that is making the PS and the government furious, Parliament approved a wage increase for diagnostic technicians in the NHS starting in January 2022. The meassure will cost, annually, 46,5 million euros. All opposition parties, PSD, BE, PCP, CDS and PAN, voted in favour of the bill while the PS was the sole against vote. The government is furious and is blaming the PSD for this vote accusing the Social Democrats of allowing the creation of a fixed expense for the State that is something that only the government can do. The government is also worried that Parliament is just approving out of control expense bills and that it will damage their fiscal stability plans. Most likely, the Constitutional Court will probably be asked to solve the issue.

[Mike88]

Electoral law changes: Parliament approves one more voting hour for the local elections and changes the law with some demands from independent movements.

https://twitter.com/ojeconomico/status/1385286294926807042

Voters will have one more hour to vote for local elections. Voting lasts until 8 pm.

Parties in Parliament have been negotiating, during the last two weeks, on small changes for the 2021 local elections, plus trying to change the electoral law to calm down the fury of the Independent movements. This afternoon, parties approved several changes: election day for the 2021 local elections will have one extra hour of voting and people in nursing homes and infected will be able to vote early. Early vote for the rest of voters, however, will note be allowed; Parties also agreed to allow Independent movements to run for mayor and local assemblies on the same ticket and lowered the % of signatures needed to be on the ballot. Names of independent candidates will also be allowed to be on the ballot; Parties also approved the creation of a digital platform to collect signatures, making hand signatures not mandatory.

About the possible end of reflection day, the 24 hour ban of political propaganda/campaign before election day, it was rejected but parties are planning to discuss its end after the 2021 local elections.

This means that on election day, polls will close at 8pm in mainland Portugal and Madeira, and at 9pm in Azores (one hour less than mainland Portugal). Exit polls may only be announced at 9pm.

[Mike88]

GfK/Metris/ICS/ISCTE poll for SIC TV/Expresso newspaper:

Vote share %:

37% PS (-2)
29% PSD (+4)
  9% BE (+1)
  7% CDU (nc)
  6% CHEGA (-1)
  2% PAN (nc)
  1% CDS (-1)
  1% IL (nc)
  4% Others (+1)
  5% Blank/Invalid (nc)
  
Government's job approval:

55% Approve (+4)
38% Disapprove (-4)
  8% Undecided (nc)

Party leaders approval ratings: (in a scale between 0 and 10)

6.2 António Costa (+0.2)
4.9 Rui Rio (+0.6)
4.3 Catarina Martins (-0.1)
3.8 Jerónimo de Sousa (nc)
3.4 André Silva (+0.2)
3.1 Francisco Rodrigues dos Santos (+0.3)
2.9 João Cotrim Figueiredo (+0.4)
2.4 André Ventura (-0.2)

Poll conducted between 5 and 13 April 2021. Polled 802 voters by secret ballot. MoE of 3.50%.

[Mike88]

President Marcelo vetoes postmortem insemination bill and sends it back to Parliament:

https://twitter.com/dntwit/status/1385344927102488576

Marcelo returns to Parliament decree on post-mortem insemination.

President Marcelo has vetoed a bill that would allow post-mortem inseminations in Portugal. The bill is now back in Parliament for discussions or changes. The President says the bill has many doubts that aren't aligned with the Civil Code, which could create legal uncertainty in a very delicate matter. Marcelo especially has doubts about the rights of the children, conceived by the same father, in terms of inheritances. This bill was approved in Parliament, on 25 March, with the votes of PS, BE, CDU, PAN, IL and Independents. PSD, CDS and CHEGA voted against while 5 PS MPs abstained.

[Mike88]

GfK/Metris/ICS/ISCTE poll for SIC TV/Expresso newspaper on the quality of democracy in Portugal, on the eve of the 47th anniversary of the 1974 revolution:

Q1: Portugal, today, is a democracy...

47% With small defects
36% With big defects
10% Full democracy
  4% Not a democracy
  3% Undecided

Q2: Opinion of the sentence: "The majority of politicians worry about what citizens think."

74% Disagree
21% Agree
  4% Undecided

Q3: Opinion of the sentence: "Voting gives citizens a word on how the country is governed."

50% Agree
45% Disagree
  5% Undecided

Q4: Opinion of the sentence: "The State is managed in order to benefit the people."

72% Disagree
24% Agree
  5% Undecided

Poll conducted between 5 and 13 April 2021. Polled 802 voters by secret ballot. MoE of 3.50%.

[Mike88]

Controversy surrounding the 25 April parade as the parade committee retracts their original conditions and now allows all organizations to be part of the parade:

https://twitter.com/Publico/status/1385693573933379587

After all, the April 25th parade fits everyone who wants to “fulfill” it

During the week a controversy around the annual 25th April parade arose. The parade, held every year, this time has limitations because of Covid but organizations, from all sides, started to ask for a place in the parade. The Liberal Initiative (IL), wanted to take part in the parade but the committee rejected their inclusion on the grounds that because of the pandemic, only the parties that take part in the committee, PS, BE, CDU and Livre, can be present. The Liberals were outraged by this decision and accused the parade committee of thinking they "own" the 25 April date, adding that liberty doesn't have owners. This move by the committee created a lot of criticisms with Livre and PS criticizing the "political disability" of the committee. The committee chairman, Vasco Lourenço, tried to explain the decision in a TV interview, but it went horribly wrong as he accused IL of trying to trash the parade. The pressure was mounting on the committee, even though IL said they were not interested anymore in the parade and would make their own parade, so the parade committee announced, this Friday evening, that any organization can be part of the parade, if they signed a pledge written by the committee. The committee also sent a press release repudiating all the accusation towards them, especially the one that they think they own the 25 April.

[Mike88]

Covid-19 is making racist attacks grow in Odemira, Alentejo:

https://twitter.com/tvi24pt/status/1385876349907308546

Covid-19 increased racism in Odemira against immigrants.

The city of Odemira, Beja district, Alentejo, is currently in lockdown, one of the few cities in the country, because of an outbreak of the virus in the city. Currently, it has 245 active cases in a population of almost 25,000, and more than 80% of the cases are in the immigrant community that works in agricultural fields around the city. TVI24 reports that the immigrant community is being attacked by racist comments as the population in the city is blaming them for the outbreak. The network says that in supermarket lines, people don't want to be near them and accuse them of "destroying the city". Others say that the immigrants should just disappear. Odemira city hall rejects the view that the city is in chaos and surrounded, and says there's just "a more effective control, with an effective reinforcement".

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

Speaking of the incoming 25 de Abril, what is the CHEGA discourse about the national holiday? I have to imagine most 'revisionism' would be found in that segment of the political spectrum, although obviously CHEGA is not a direct heir to a post-Salazarist political tradition (unlike say PP with post-Francoism or FdI with neofascism).

[Mike88]

Speaking of the incoming 25 de Abril, what is the CHEGA discourse about the national holiday? I have to imagine most 'revisionism' would be found in that segment of the political spectrum, although obviously CHEGA is not a direct heir to a post-Salazarist political tradition (unlike say PP with post-Francoism or FdI with neofascism).

Well, in his speech in the 25 April ceremony last year, let's see what he says this year, Ventura said that "today we celebrate the end of the dictatorship and the beginning of a democratic regime", but he also defends a "new 25 April" as he accuses the current regime of being out of date, corrupt, badly managed and that a new one is needed, more presidential.

[Mike88]

Controversy with the nomination of a 33 year old Costa advisor as Director of Social Security:

https://twitter.com/AEIOU_pt/status/1385911781495820288

"Jobs for the boys" from the PS. Costa advisor in Social Security.

Another controversy arose this week with the revelation that the government nominated a 33 year old Costa advisor, Tiago Preguiça, as General Director of Social Security. The nomination is "temporary" as there will be a public contest for the job, but Mr Preguiça will put his experience of the resume and, therefore, be ahead of any candidate for the job in the near future. Mr Preguiça has a degree in European affairs and has no experience in Social Security. The nomination is being very badly received in the institution as the job, normally, goes to experienced people with a resume in the Social Security ranks. However, this isn't an isolated incident as it common practice in governments led by both PS and PSD. During the previous PSD government (2011-2015), top jobs in the Social Security were given to PSD members, and since the PS is government the same has happened but, this time, almost all of the Social Security top jobs are occupied by PS members.

[Mike88]

Because today is the 25 April holiday, here's a video that shows Lisbon city on Revolution day and in the following days: (and in colour which is quite rare)

My favourite moment: Minute 1:15 - "Do you want a cheese sandwich?" Revolutions à la Portuguese

[Mike88]

25 April ceremony in Parliament: President Marcelo gives an educational speech about the past and to learn about its mistakes as police arrests a protester outside Parliament.

https://twitter.com/JornalNoticias/status/1386276573054050308

Marcelo wants lessons to be learned from the colonial past.

President Marcelo' speech in the Parliamentary ceremony, commemorating the 47th anniversary of the 25 April revolution, was focused on the past and its lessons for the present and the future. Marcelo said that we have to accept the past and not judge it by the eyes of today, criticizing those who glorify the imperial past but also those who trash everything about Portugal's history. He continued by saying that the 25 April date is the perfect time to reflect on the past, on the good and the bad, and concluded his speech by saying that by reflecting on the past we can solve the lack of justice and take lessons without complexes. Parties also gave speeches in the ceremony:

-The PS, by the voice of MP Alexandre Quintanilha, warned about how fragile democracies are currently and that current moment we live, shows that we need each other or we sink. Like Marcelo's speech, there were no direct comments about corruption or transparency;

- PSD leader Rui Rio, on the contrary, focused his whole speech on reforming the system and about fighting corruption, adding that the lack of efficiency of the justice system is one of the reasons why the people are losing trust in institutions. He added that the only way to attacks "extremists" and "radicalism" is to fight the causes that make them grow, concluding that just making "sanitary cords" around them will not defeat them;

- BE choose its Lisbon mayoral candidate and MP, Beatriz Gomes Dias, as their spokesperson and she said that the conquests of April are irreversible and she saluted all the people who fought for freedom on that day in 1974. She also talked about corruption saying it's something that "undermines democracy" and that some use it as a political agenda, in a jibe towards Ventura;

- PCP, by the voice of one their youngest MPs Alma Rivera, said that with the 25 April, all citizens were equal and that no one can be discriminated under the law. She also talked about corruption, saying that its impunity is a stain and an affront to democracy;

- CDS, in a speech made by one of their MPs, Pedro Morais Soares, criticized the lack of strategy of the government because of the pandemic, and that the pandemic made us think about our freedom. The party also talked about corruption, defending it's fight and that the State cannot ignore the distrust of the people;

- PAN leader, André Silva, attacked the "Central Bloc" (PS+PSD) accusing them of "sponsoring some of the most violent sectors of society" because of the ties both parties have with corrupt deals and schemes and the lack of transparency both continue to show. This was Mr Silva last speech as PAN leader in the 25 April ceremonies;

- PEV, said this is a happy day as the revolutions commemorations can go to the street and that now it's time to fight against corruption and invest in a "colourfull future", by more investments in the NHS and education;

- CHEGA leader André Ventura said that today we need black carnations, not red ones, because democracy is in mourning as businesses are closed and because the government isn't helping them. He said Portugal is in a worse shape now as the former USSR republics are surpassing Portugal in terms of wealth asking "What April can we give to the future?" He ended his speech by saying that Portugal needs "another 25 April";

- IL leader, João Cotrim Figueiredo, said that the left thinks they own the 25 April date, showing that they, the left, are arrogant and criticizes the rightwing parties for allowing it. He also said that reforming the justice system and create more opportunities should be Portugal's goal;

https://twitter.com/tvi24pt/status/1386292830696398853

April 25: man arrested at the door of the Assembly of the Republic.

During the ceremony, a few dozen protesters, protesting against corruption, made a very loud presence in front of Parliament. When President Marcelo was leaving the building, the protesters booed the President and shortly after, a protester was arrested after jumping the fence the police put up. There was also a heavy police presence in the area. Protesters only applauded former President Ramalho Eanes when he was leaving the ceremony.

[Mike88]

25 April parades, yesterday, on Liberty Avenue, Lisbon:

[Mike88]

PM Costa received with protests in Valença city, Viana do Castelo, and his Infrastructure minister clashes with protesters:

https://twitter.com/RTPNoticias/status/1386635483606888448

Costa received with two protests in Valença

PM Costa and his Infrastructure minister, Pedro Nuno Santos, went to Valença city, Viana do Castelo district, to inaugurate the electrification of the Minho railway, although incomplete, and the renovation of a local highschool. But, the PM and his minister were received by two loud protests. One was against the closure of borders between Portugal and Spain, but the PM didn't interact with them, but the other protest, of Rail workers, was more tense as they were inside the train station. PM Costa went to them but gave immediately the word to minister Pedro Nuno Santos which had a rather tense talk with a protester. The protest worker said they want to be heard by the minister, demanding wage increases that are frozen since 2009, in which the minister responded that what he does the most is meet with workers unions and that "he has done more than anyone else in this office". The protester said that what the minister said wasn't true and Pedro Nuno Santos ended the debate and left the scene.

[Mike88]

Opposition councillor of Maia city, Porto district, insults members of the municipal assembly after forgeting to switch off the microphone is his Zoom:

https://twitter.com/JornalNoticias/status/1386468079954137089

Councillor insults two deputies on Zoom without realizing that he had his microphone on.

It was a weird start of the 25 April Zoom ceremony on Maia city hall. Before the ceremony started, a JPP councillor, Jaime Pinho, elected in a PS-JPP coalition in 2017, started insulting members of the municipal assembly without realising he had his microphone on. As many members were appearing in the Zoom meeting and giving good morning, Mr Pinho was heard saying "He's eating and laughing, that son of a b****".  He was referring to another PS member, which heard what Mr Pinho said and shouted "Hey, pay attention to the language, man!". Mr Pinho didn't heard or decided not to respond, but when another PS member arrived and also greeted everybody on the meeting, Mr Pinho said "Oh f*****g b****". The PS-Maia is furious with the actions of the councillor elected in their 2017 coalition and they are demanding a public apology from councillor Jaime Pinho to the members of the assembly he insulted and to the party. Mr Pinho hasn't responded yet.

[Mike88]

Opposition councillor of Maia city, Porto district, insults members of the municipal assembly after forgeting to switch off the microphone is his Zoom:

Well, he has resigned as councillor and as member of JPP.

[Mike88]

Sócrates continues to divide the PS: Deputy caucus leader accuses former PS minister, João Cravinho, of "affected memory" after Mr Cravinho accused Sócrates of stopping the fight against corruption as PM.

https://twitter.com/observadorpt/status/1387013941277175813

PS responds to João Cravinho on corruption: “You must have a little affected memory”.

The Sócrates debacle continues to divide the PS. As the leadership of the party defends their silence, some former PS minister are criticizing the PS for its posture during the Sócrates years. Former Guterres cabinet minister, João Cravinho, in an interview to SIC TV, said that Sócrates stopped the fight of corruption during his term as PM, when he rejected Mr Cravinho anti-corruption bills. Mr Cravinho was a PS MP at the time of Sócrates leadership. But, the PS responded to Mr Cravinho's statements and accuse him of having a "little affected memory", saying that all current anti-corruption legislation had the approval of the PS, adding that the party has "no fear or shame" about fighting corruption.

[Mike88]

2021 local elections update:

- In the PS, tensions continue. In Barcelos, this city will be very interesting to follow as the two main parties are completely divided internally, there's an ongoing war between the local PS and the district PS. The district party has chosen Alexandre Maciel as the deputy mayor candidate, but the local party wants a woman in the 2nd slot of the list. The district party is refusing to change the name and accuses the local party. The problem is that the district party is running the show in Barcelos and the local PS is so divided it could not make a decision on candidates;

- In the PSD, as usual, there's also problems. This time in Gaia city. The PSD candidate, António Oliveira, threatened to give up his candidacy if the local PSD-Gaia didn't stop rebuffing him. The local party was choosing candidates for parishes without Mr Oliveira approval, which violates party rules. The national party had to intervine, and a meeting was held between both sides in Gaia to calm down the situation. After the meeting, the PSD-Gaia accepted to include Mr Oliveira in the process. The media also reports that a PSD-Gaia insider told Mr Oliveira, after he was picked as candidate, that he didn't knew where he was getting into, as the PSD-Gaia was in chaos;

- CHEGA is also presenting more and more candidates. The party's aim is to have as much candidates as PS and PSD in cities across the country. The party also expects to present a high number of candidacies for the 3,085 parishes in play in the elections;

- In Oeiras, the PSD is expected to present their support for the reelection campaign of mayor Isaltino Morais. And, yesterday, a curious story came out from Oeiras: The city inaugurated an almost 18 meter obelisk in a park that cost 600,000 euros:
https://twitter.com/revistaSABADO/status/1387077928907939846

Portugal - Inauguration of the obelisk that cost € 600,000 to Oeiras residents

The mayor is accused of being "pharaonic", but Oeiras city hall says that the obelisk is a homage to poets, the liberty and democratization of culture, plus other stuff. The height of the obelisk, 17,59 meters, refers to the year 1759 when Oeiras became a municipality.

More updates when available.

[Mike88]

Another controversy as PSD candidate Suzana Garcia says she wants to "exterminate" BE and CHEGA:

https://twitter.com/SolOnline/status/1387745020946563072

PSD-Amadora reaffirms confidence in Suzana Garcia after advocating "for the end of Chega and BE"

Suzana Garcia, PSD/CDS candidate for the Lisbon suburb of Amadora, almost 180,000 inhabitants, is back in the headlines for a weird and controversial opinion in a TV show yesterday. In an interview in TVI, Ms Garcia said she wants to "exterminate" the extremes mainly BE and also CHEGA. BE is furious with her statements and are demanding Rui Rio to drop her as candidate. However, the PSD is defending her by saying that her word "exterminate" means election wipeout and that BE is just being "dishonest". The Social Democrats go on to say that BE has no moral to talk as they themselves have also advocated the death, for example, of the President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro.

Far from me defending Suzana Garcia, because she's crazy, but the BE, in my view, missed a perfect opportunity to be silent, as BE doesn't disapprove the idea of illegalizing CHEGA.

[Mike88]

Aximage poll for JN/DN newspapers and TSF radio:

Trust in institutions:

Presidency of the Republic: 65% Trust; 12% Distrust; 21% Average
Police: 58% Trust; 16% Distrust; 25% Average
Government: 42% Trust; 30% Distrust; 27% Average
Prosecutors (DA): 35% Distrust; 27% Trust; 32% Average
Parliament: 39% Distrust; 34% Trust; 26% Average
News media: 43% Distrust; 27% Trust; 29% Average
Political parties: 45% Distrust; 21% Trust; 32% Average
Courts and Judges: 62% Distrust; 15% Trust; 22% Average

Poll conducted between 22 and 25 April 2021. Polled 830 voters. MoE of 3.40%.

[Mike88]

PAN has a new leader (unofficially) : Inês Sousa Real, PAN caucus leader, is the sole candidate for the leadership.

https://twitter.com/Publico/status/1388460227050233859

Political parties: List of Inês Sousa Real to the leadership is the only one presented to the PAN congress

Inês Sousa Real, PAN's current caucus leader, is the sole candidate for the party's leadership, to be elected on 5-6 June this year. The deadline for submitting candidacies was yesterday, and only she submitted a candidacy meaning she's, unofficially, the new elected leader of PAN. She will be the second woman leading a political party in the current Parliamentary term, the other being Catarina Martins of BE.

[Mike88]

Controversy as the government forces the civil requisition of a private estate to house people in confinement due to Covid-19:

https://twitter.com/Publico/status/1388209058772041736

Covid-19: Zmar homeowners refuse to give up housing for isolation.

Odemira municipality, Beja district, is a place that is being hit hard by the virus. The village is the worst place in terms of infections in the country, in large part due to the big population of immigrants that work in agriculture fields and live in very poor conditions. Because of this situation, the government wants to disperse people infected with those who had contact with them and the Interior minister activated the civil requisition clause, and will use Zmar estate, a private estate with houses, to lodge people in confinement. However, this is being very criticized and many owners are refusing to leave their houses, challenging the government's order. Many live permanently in the estate and don't want other people in their houses. The lawyer's bar association says the government's decision could violate human rights and will make a position on this controversy.

[Mike88]

António Costa accuses Rui Rio of being a "wind vane", and Rio responds by accusing Costa of being a hypocrite:

https://twitter.com/tvi24pt/status/1388798085082583040

"A wind vane at least has cardinal points, D. Rui Rio doesn't have any"

In an interview to JN/DN newspapers and TSF radio, PM Costa had harsh words for the PSD leader Rui Rio. Costa accused Rio of being a "wind vane" for his constant attacks towards the government and accused him of contaminating the PSD with CHEGA. He also brought back the Tancos air base scandal to attack Rio accusing him of making wrongly judgements for political gains. Mr Rui Rio didn't wait, and, on social media, trashed the PM:

https://twitter.com/RuiRioPSD/status/1388798565120626688

In a low-level interview, António Costa criticizes my 25 / April speech and says that the PSD wants to attack the independence of the judiciary. He says this, in the week that the European Parliament criticizes him for the politicization he made in the appointment of the European prosecutor. What hypocrisy!

Rui Rio uses this week vote on the European Parliament, where MEPs voted a report that condemned the Portuguese government for their controversial appointment of the Portuguese EU prosecutor. MEP also accused Portugal of not giving answers about the controversy.

[Mike88]

Aximage poll for JN/DN newspapers and TSF radio:

Vote share %:

38.2% PS (-1.5)
26.1% PSD (+2.5)
  9.2% BE (+0.6)
  7.2% CHEGA (-1.3)
  5.7% CDU (-0.3)
  4.9% IL (+0.1)
  2.7% PAN (-0.5)
  0.8% Livre (nc)
  0.4% CDS (-0.7)
  4.8% Others/Invalid (+1.2)

Preffered PM:

55% António Costa (+1)
18% Rui Rio (-1)
20% Neither (+1)
  2% Both (-2)
  6% Undecided (nc)

Government approval:

55% Approve (nc)
22% Disapprove (-2)
22% Average (+3)
  1% Undecided (-1)

President of the Republic approval:

71% Approve (-1)
10% Disapprove (-7)
17% Average (+8)
  2% Undecided (nc)

Poll conducted between 22 and 25 April 2021. Polled 830 voters. MoE of 3.40%.

[Mike88]

Mayor of Torres Vedras, Lisbon district, found dead at with home with a knife stroke to the neck:

https://twitter.com/TSFRadio/status/1389254817042755588

Mayor of Torres Vedras found dead at home.

Horrible news this afternoon from Torres Vedras city, Lisbon district. The media is reporting that the incumbent mayor of Torres Vedras, Carlos Bernardes (PS), was found dead at his home with a neck cut done by a knife. The police is treating as a possible suicide as they believe that third party intervention is very unlikely and no signs of violence were found at his house. Mr Bernardes was running for reelection in the 2021 local elections. The PSD/CDS candidate for the city, Duarte Pacheco, has already reacted saying he's shocked and that he cannot believe this has happened. President Marcelo has also given his condolences to Mr Bernardes family.