🇵🇹 Portugal's politics and elections 2.0

[Mike88]

2021 Presidential elections: PCP announces MEP João Ferreira as candidate.

https://twitter.com/ojeconomico/status/1304844612972851200

PCP announces candidacy of MEP João Ferreira to the presidential elections

The PCP has nominated MEP João Ferreira as the party's candidate for the 2021 elections. Mr Ferreira, 41 years old, has been a MEP since 2009, and led the PCP list in 2014 and 2019. He also ran for mayor of Lisbon in 2013 and 2017.

[Mike88]

Local politics: Referendum in Chaves, Vila Real district, to decide if ancient Roman bridge should have car traffic.

https://twitter.com/tvi24ultimas/status/1305090330228817921

Chaves decides in referendum if to reopen transit of the Roman bridge

Voters in Chaves, Vila Real district, around 44,000, are deciding today in a referendum if the ancient Roman bridge, built during the I century, should have car traffic, like it had a few years ago. The bridge is currently pedestrian, but a report says the bridge is stable enough to support car traffic, recognizing that pedestrian is the preferable one. The referendum was an election promise of the current PS mayor when he defeated the PSD in 2017, after 16 years in power.

Polls will close at 7pm. This is just the sixth local referendum in almost half a century of democracy in Portugal.

[Mike88]

Local politics: Referendum in Chaves, Vila Real district, to decide if ancient Roman bridge should have car traffic.

Turnout appears to be extremely low as, at 12:00h, just 5% of registered voters had cast a ballot. It seems 100% certain that whatever the result is, the referendum will not be valid and the bridge will continue as only pedestrian.

[Mike88]

Local politics: Referendum in Chaves, Vila Real district, to decide if ancient Roman bridge should have car traffic.

Turnout appears to be extremely low as, at 12:00h, just 5% of registered voters had cast a ballot. It seems 100% certain that whatever the result is, the referendum will not be valid and the bridge will continue as only pedestrian.

Turnout was just 12.1%, but the No side won by a landslide:

85.2% No (4,440 votes)
14.8% Yes (769 votes)

  0.9% Blank/Invalid (49 votes)

The referendum is invalid and the ancient Roman bridge will continue pedestrian.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

There is something absolutely bizarre in the idea that local referendums are so incredibly rare yet one was called on whether to open a bridge to car traffic.
One would think that if these matters are decided by referendums, a lot of other matters should.

[Mike88]

Intercampus poll for CM newspaper/CMTV:

Vote share %:

37.4% PS (-2.2)
24.3% PSD (-0.5)
  9.9% BE (+1.4)
  7.4% CHEGA (-0.5)
  5.1% CDU (-1.0)
  4.3% CDS (-0.1) 
  4.1% PAN (+0.9)
  2.1% IL (-0.7)
  0.4% Livre (+0.4)
  1.0% Others (+0.6)
  4.1% Invalid/Blank (+1.9)

Popularity ratings: (in a scale between 0 and 5)

3.4 António Costa (nc)
3.1 Catarina Martins (+0.3)
3.0 Rui Rio (-0.1)
2.6 André Silva (nc)
2.5 João Cotrim Figueiredo (-0.1)
2.5 Francisco Rodrigues dos Santos (nc)
2.3 Jerónimo de Sousa (-0.2)
2.1 André Ventura (-0.1)
1.9 Joacine Katar Moreira (+0.1)

Poll conducted between 4 and 9 September 2020. Polled 614 voters. MoE of 4.00%.

[Mike88]

There is something absolutely bizarre in the idea that local referendums are so incredibly rare yet one was called on whether to open a bridge to car traffic.
One would think that if these matters are decided by referendums, a lot of other matters should.

Local referendums in Portugal are quite rare due, mainly, to bureaucracy. There have been many attempts by city halls to hold referendums on several issues, but, the Constitutional Court blocks the majority of these referendums because of technical issues and other legal issues. The lack of interest from the electorate is also another reason many city halls to not hold referendums.

[Mike88]

The Costa-Benfica controversy continues:

https://twitter.com/Publico/status/1304772425943576577

Government: Costa's support for Vieira opens controversy and raises doubts about violation of Code of Conduct

The story dominated the weekend and continues as of this morning. Costa's support for the reelection of Benfica President, Luís Filipe Vieira, which is currently being investigated for several corrupt and shady deals, is being condemned by pundits, parties and presidential candidates. Pundits suggest Costa made a huge mistake and don't understand why he did this, unless he thinks he's "teflon" and nothing will damage him. Some add that, nonetheless, he will regret deeply making this decision. The only two parties commentating on this affair were PSD and BE. PSD leader, Rui Rio, criticized Costa for mixing professional football with politics, adding the justice problems Mr Vieira has. BE leader, Catarina Martins, says it's shamefull the PM is supporting someone who left a hole of 200 million euros in the Novo Banco, and that taxpayers are paying it. In this regard, Mr Vieira is accused of damaging the Novo Banco by not paying 200 million euros in debts from his businesses.

Presidential candidate, Ana Gomes, has also hammered Costa for supporting Vieira saying she's shocked by the PM's decision and that she wants consequences from his actions. Many law experts also point that Costa is violating his own government code of conduct and the media is showing clips of Costa saying that ministers cannot forget they're still ministers even in coffee tables. This because Costa, when pressed by the media, says this has nothing to do with politics and that he's only supporting Mr. Vieira as a Benfica fan.  

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

There is something absolutely bizarre in the idea that local referendums are so incredibly rare yet one was called on whether to open a bridge to car traffic.
One would think that if these matters are decided by referendums, a lot of other matters should.

Local referendums in Portugal are quite rare due, mainly, to bureaucracy. There have been many attempts by city halls to hold referendums on several issues, but, the Constitutional Court blocks the majority of these referendums because of technical issues and other legal issues. The lack of interest from the electorate is also another reason many city halls to not hold referendums.

In Italy the Constitutional Court decides which national referenda are admissible but I don't think it has power on local ones. Interesting though.

[crals]

The Costa-Benfica controversy continues:

https://twitter.com/Publico/status/1304772425943576577

Government: Costa's support for Vieira opens controversy and raises doubts about violation of Code of Conduct

The story dominated the weekend and continues as of this morning. Costa's support for the reelection of Benfica President, Luís Filipe Vieira, which is currently being investigated for several corrupt and shady deals, is being condemned by pundits, parties and presidential candidates. Pundits suggest Costa made a huge mistake and don't understand why he did this, unless he thinks he's "teflon" and nothing will damage him. Some add that, nonetheless, he will regret deeply making this decision. The only two parties commentating on this affair were PSD and BE. PSD leader, Rui Rio, criticized Costa for mixing professional football with politics, adding the justice problems Mr Vieira has. BE leader, Catarina Martins, says it's shamefull the PM is supporting someone who left a hole of 200 million euros in the Novo Banco, and that taxpayers are paying it. In this regard, Mr Vieira is accused of damaging the Novo Banco by not paying 200 million euros in debts from his businesses.

Presidential candidate, Ana Gomes, has also hammered Costa for supporting Vieira saying she's shocked by the PM's decision and that she wants consequences from his actions. Many law experts also point that Costa is violating his own government code of conduct and the media is showing clips of Costa saying that ministers cannot forget they're still ministers even in coffee tables. This because Costa, when pressed by the media, says this has nothing to do with politics and that he's only supporting Mr. Vieira as a Benfica fan.  

Interesting how Chega is suddenly quiet about this

[Mike88]

Interesting how Chega is suddenly quiet about this

Yeah, their silence is... interesting, but completely expected. But, even Ventura was cleaver enough not to be associated with Vieira this time around.

Also an update:

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa refused, in 2017, to be part of the honor committee of SCBraga president and will pressure Costa:

https://twitter.com/observadorpt/status/1305557853915283463

Marcelo declined an invitation to be part of thr honor committee of António Salvador (Sp. Braga) in 2017. President pressures Costa on the weekly meeting:

[Mike88]

Interesting how Chega is suddenly quiet about this

Yeah, their silence is... interesting, but completely expected. But, even Ventura was cleaver enough not to be associated with Vieira this time around.

André Ventura reacted to the Costa-Vieira controversy. Ventura said he was invited by some candidacies for the Benfica presidency but turned down all of them as he said he made a commitment to politics. He also accused Costa of trying to use Vieira's and Benfica's popularity for his own use.

The last part... sure, ok.

[Mike88]

Azores regional elections: 13 parties presented lists for the elections.

A - Alliance, center-right
BE - Left Bloc, leftwing
CDU - Democratic Unitary Coalition (PCP/PEV), leftwing
CDS-PP - CDS-People's Party, center-right*
CH - CHEGA, rightwing to far-right
IL - Liberal Initiative, center to center-right
L - Livre (Free), center-left to leftwing
MPT - Earth Party, center-right
PAN - People-Animals-Nature, center-left
PCTP/MRPP - Portuguese Workers' Communist Party, far-left/Maoist
PPD/PSD - Social Democratic Party, center-right
PPM - People's Monarchist Party, center-right to rightwing*
PS - Socialist Party, center-left

*In Corvo Island, PPM and CDS-PP run in a coalition.

These are the lists for the biggest electoral district, São Miguel, where normally all parties run. In other districts/islands, fewer parties have presented lists.

[Mike88]

Azores regional elections: Electoral posters of the main parties.

PS - Socialist Party

The Azores needs your vote. Vasco Cordeiro, our President

PSD - Social Democratic Party

Trust, Azores

CDS-PP - CDS-People's Party

Always by the side of the Azoreans. The right choice in defense of your rights.

BE - Left Bloc

New policies, better future

PAN - People-Animals-Nature

Give wings to a new vision

CH - CHEGA
https://twitter.com/ChegaAcores/status/1292564676149215232

This octopus devours everything in the Azores. Enough of corruption.

IL - Liberal Initiative

25 years of pink monster choking democracy. Come liberalize the Azores.

[Mike88]

Intercampus poll for CM newspaper/CMTV on the 2021 presidential election:

Vote share %:

60.3% Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (-7.4)
14.0% Ana Gomes (+5.3)
  9.4% André Ventura (-0.7)
  6.2% Marisa Matias (+2.0)
  2.9% Jerónimo de Sousa (+0.4)
  0.5% Tiago Mayan Gonçalves (new)
  6.7% Others (-0.1)

Poll conducted between 4 and 9 September 2020. Polled 614 voters. MoE of 4.00%.

[VPH]

Azores regional elections: 13 parties presented lists for the elections.

A - Alliance, center-right
BE - Left Bloc, leftwing
CDU - Democratic Unitary Coalition (PCP/PEV), leftwing
CDS-PP - CDS-People's Party, center-right*
CH - CHEGA, rightwing to far-right
IL - Liberal Initiative, center to center-right
L - Livre (Free), center-left to leftwing
MPT - Earth Party, center-right
PAN - People-Animals-Nature, center-left
PCTP/MRPP - Portuguese Workers' Communist Party, far-left/Maoist
PPD/PSD - Social Democratic Party, center-right
PPM - People's Monarchist Party, center-right to rightwing*
PS - Socialist Party, center-left

*In Corvo Island, PPM and CDS-PP run in a coalition.

These are the lists for the biggest electoral district, São Miguel, where normally all parties run. In other districts/islands, fewer parties have presented lists.

Hope to see the PPM stronghold of Corvo remain strong. Hilarious electoral result.

[Mike88]

Hope to see the PPM stronghold of Corvo remain strong. Hilarious electoral result.

Paulo Estevão will, with all likelihood, be reelected. The PS may win the other additional seat. Don't think the PSD has a chance in Corvo. He was a teacher in Corvo, so he's very popular and seems to help Corvo in the regional Parliament.

[Mike88]

Costa does a snap mini reshuffle of his government. Media says that the Health minister wanted to fire her secretary of health.

https://twitter.com/RTPNoticias/status/1306303731336654849

Jamila Madeira leaves. Remodeling of State Secretaries alters Health - Last minute, RTP Notícias

Costa announced, late this afternoon, a mini reshuffle of his government. The change was focused on secretaries of state and some were expected, as some secretaries are to be nominated as members or chairman of regional councils. But, the most surprising change was the departure of Jamila Madeira as Health secretary. She was substituted by António Sales. The media is saying that Ms Madeira firing was an order by the Health minister, Marta Temido, and that the PM accepted. The new secretaries will take the oath of office this Thursday morning.

[Mike88]

Azores regional elections: Parties present their campaign budgets and how much they will spend in the October elections.

Total budget expenditure projection:

   472,572€ PS
   350,000€ PSD
   150,000€ CDS
     63,506€ BE
     60,000€ CDU
     38,000€ PPM
     29,705€ PAN
     28,000€ PPM/CDS
     27,500€ CHEGA
     17,500€ Alliance
       6,000€ IL
       5,000€ Livre
       2,850€ PCTP/MRPP
              0€ MPT

1,250,633€ Total

[Mike88]

JUST IN: Luís Filipe Vieira, Benfica president, removes António Costa and all political supporters from his honor committee.

https://twitter.com/revistaSABADO/status/1306574974921183232

Football - Luís Filipe Vieira removes António Costa and Fernando Medina from the honor committee

The "Vieiragate" or "Benficagate" continues to dominate headlines. After days of pressure from the press on PM António Costa, the President of Benfica, Luís Filipe Vieira, announced, early this afternoon, that all supporters will political jobs are to be removed from his honor committee, which includes the removal of António Costa, of course. In the press realeased, Mr Vieira thanks the support of all of the now former members of hos committee and says that it's sad that after 46 years of democracy, people are being censored for freely giving their support. He added that this controversy was "unjustified and deeply hypocritical".

This announcement happens just a few hours before the PM and President weekly meeting, where Marcelo said he was going to press Costa on this controversy, and during an ongoing series of reports on the content of Mr Vieira corruption accusation, which is expected to come out in the next few days or weeks.

[Mike88]

PSD caucus elections: Adão Silva, MP from Bragança, wins the caucus leadership vote with 81% of the votes.

https://twitter.com/ECO_PT/status/1306641629583998976

Adão Silva elected PSD caucus leader with 81% of the votes

Adão Silva, MP from Bragança, won the PSD caucus leadership elections with 81% of the votes, 64 votes. There was only one list on the ballot. 15 votes were blank or invalid. All 79 PSD MPs voted. Mr Silva, a close ally of Rio, promissed to have more meetings with MPs and to continue the work of Rui Rio in the caucus. He also downplayed a small controversy surrounding the vote as some MPs were uncomfortable on being filmed and/or photographed while in the voting booths.

[Mike88]

Aximage poll for JN/TSF radio on Covid-19 and government response:

Q1: Should there be a second confinement in the winter?

47% Yes
40% No
13% Undecided

Q2: Are the Portuguese following the Health Authorities recommendations?

56% They are facilitating
42% Yes, they're following
  2% Undecided

Q3: Government's approval on school openings:

43% Positive
34% Negative
19% Average
  2% Undecided

Q4: Government handling of Covid-19 in nursing homes:

56% Negative
27% Positive
14% Average
  3% Undecided

Q5: Local government handling of Covid-19 in nursing homes:

39% Negative
33% Positive
19% Average
  9% Undecided

Poll conducted between 12 and 15 September 2020. Polled 603 voters. MoE of 4.00%.

[Mike88]

Luís Filipe Vieira, Benfica president, removes António Costa and all political supporters from his honor committee.

That was yesterday. Today, the DA office has presented their accusation against Luís Filipe Vieira in the Lex corruption investigation. Mr Vieira and 16 others, 3 of them judges, are accused of undue receipt of advantage. Mr Vieira is himself accused of entice judge Rui Rangel with football tickets, trips overseas in order to influence a judicial case in his favour:

https://twitter.com/Record_Portugal/status/1306913457707642880

Football - Luís Filipe Vieira accused in Operation Lex

The timing of all of this is amazing. The media is also to continuing pressing Costa with some suggesting that the recent snap mini government reshuffle and a Covid-19 crisis meeting this Friday are just a distraction by the PM to divert attention from his role in the "Vieiragate".

[Mike88]

Pro and counter rallies in Évora due to the CHEGA convention in that city:

https://twitter.com/JornalNoticias/status/1307077829100789762

Half a thousand Chega supporters received in Évora with "Grândola Vila Morena"

CHEGA march and rally had a counter rally in the same square from antifascist movements. CHEGA is meeting in Évora city to hold their convention and a march/rally was planned. Around 500 people attended with Ventura talking about his anti-corruption message, that CHEGA is a national party and shouting that Évora was theirs. Across the other side of the square, with police separating, an antifascist rally with the same number of protesters, around 500, was protesting against CHEGA and singing Grândola Vila Morena:

https://twitter.com/Adriana_Az27/status/1307051936231895043

Although Évora is a very leftwing city, PS+CDU+BE+PAN won 64.3% of the votes in the 2019 general elections, but CHEGA got a result well above the national average, 2.4%.

[Mike88]

More data from the Aximage poll for JN/TSF radio:

Q1: Future direction of the country:

34% Bad direction
32% Good direction
28% Neither good or bad
  5% Undecided

Q2: Youth standart of living in the future:

48% Worse than their parents
30% Better than their parents
17% Same with their parents
  5% Undecided

Q3: State of the economy in one year:

60% Worse
23% Same
13% Better
  4% Undecided

Q4: State of the economy in 3 years:

43% Better
25% Worse
22% Same
10% Undecided

Poll conducted between 12 and 15 September 2020. Polled 603 voters. MoE of 4.00%.