🇵🇹 Portugal's politics and elections 2.0

[Mike88]

Government calls for a day of national mourning after the passing of PPM founder and renowned architect Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles:

https://twitter.com/Renascenca/status/1326590619150594048

Death of Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles. Costa highlights "huge debt of gratitude" and "priceless loss"

Former minister, architect and PPM founder, Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles, died today, in Lisbon, at the age of 98. Mr. Telles was a strong opponent to the Salazar regime and, as a landscape architect, was a strong advocate of urban planning and green development. After the 1974 revolution, Mr Telles founded the PPM, party he led until 1984. He took part in many governments after the revolution and was environment secretary during Mário Soares 1st cabinet (1976-1978). In 1979, he joined the successful Democratic Alliance (AD) alongside PSD and CDS. After the AD victory in 1979, he became minister of quality of life and he persued several policies towards land organization, forest development and creation of ecological reserves. In 1983, he ran for Lisbon mayor and was elected as a councillor where he developed several policies to expand green spaces and corridors in the city of Lisbon. In 1993, he founded the MPT-Earth Party, which he led until 2007.

All party leaders are paying their respects: PM and PS leader António Costa said that the country has a huge debt of gratitude towards him and announce a day of national mourning; PSD leader Rui Rio says he's sad and shocked by the news and that he was a pioneer in ecology in Portugal; President Marcelo also paid his respects saying Mr Telles was a fighter for freedoms and democracy.

[Red Velvet]

It’s scary to see Portugal walking the first steps into extremism and fascism, represented in this case by the Chega party. Either the Portuguese people recognize the danger they face in an early stage or soon they will be just like Brazil and the US.

[Mike88]

Azores government formation: The transition of power started today with a meeting with incumbent President Vasco Cordeiro and President to be José Manuel Bolieiro.

https://twitter.com/AcoresAzores/status/1326608633065594881

Vasco Cordeiro received José Manuel Bolieiro to define the transition of governments with normality.

Incumbent Azores President Vasco Cordeiro met today with President to be José Manuel Bolieiro to talk about the transition of power in the Azores. Mr Cordeiro invited Mr Bolieiro for a meeting to talk about dossiers like the Covid-19 pandemic, and other issues. After the meeting, both men held a joint press conference where they responded to reporters questions. Mr Cordeiro said he would do everything for the transition to go "with normality" and announced he asked all government department to elaborate transition dossiers. Mr Cordeiro was also forced to answer questions about a controversial report that revealed the the Azores government opened job hiring for more than 100 public employees just after the October 25th elections. Mr Cordeiro said the job applications were done "within the law" and that they are not "political jobs", adding that the new PSD administration can deal with the issue as they wish.

[Mike88]

It’s scary to see Portugal walking the first steps into extremism and fascism, represented in this case by the Chega party. Either the Portuguese people recognize the danger they face in an early stage or soon they will be just like Brazil and the US.

That's a bit exaggerated, IMO. CHEGA, yes, is a radical right-wing party, but they are a hot mess, literally, with deep divisions. André Ventura cannot be called, IMO, a radical but rather a big opportunist as it is clear that he doesn't believe what he preaches. CHEGA leadership is overwhelmingly former PSD and CDS members who left both parties as they believed both were drifting to the left. Ventura himself was a normal PSD member, who in the past supported abortion, gay marriage and migrants to resolve the demographic problem. He even labeled Trump and Le Pen as basically crazy. Everything changed after the 2017 local elections, when he was abandoned by his party, due to the gypsy comments, but his strong showing in the elections made him realised there was space in the Portuguese political system for a party more to the right.

Now, Ventura, like I said above, is a very opportunist politician, doesn't believe in anything that he says and only says it because it gains votes. The problem for him is that his party has problems with far-right groups that are already infiltrating CHEGA, and that creates problems for him time after time. Now, I don't like Ventura because of the reasons I posted above, plus, his campaign against corruption is another big opportunistic move as his defence of Benfica's actions is proof.

Sooner or later, CHEGA would try to forge something with the PSD and the opportunity arrived in the Azores. CHEGA indeed drooped a lot of their ludicrous flags just to please the PSD, and the PSD, after the CDS colapse last year, realized the only way to get back to power was through CHEGA, but they needed to prepair the ground for it, and Rio, in the last couple of months, has been saying "if CHEGA moderates its tone, we can talk". CHEGA is now part of government solutions in Portugal and it will be interesting to see the path they will take in the future, but the first signs suggest they are willing to drop almost everything controversial just to get into power, or being close to power.

[CumbrianLefty]

It’s scary to see Portugal walking the first steps into extremism and fascism, represented in this case by the Chega party. Either the Portuguese people recognize the danger they face in an early stage or soon they will be just like Brazil and the US.

Eternal vigilance against complacency is both right and proper, but this seems slightly OTT.

[Mike88]

2021 Budget: As the final vote draws closer, tense negotiations between the government and PCP/BE continue.

https://twitter.com/Publico/status/1327129401348284418

State Budget 2021: Government prepares proposals to ensure that PCP approves Budget

Negotiations between the government and PCP/BE continue as the final budget vote date draws closer and closer. BE and the government seem to be in a deadlock and the BE vote against the budget in the 1st vote, is likely to be repeated in the final budget vote. According to BE, the government didn't respond to their 12 demands and the party says talks between both sides are currently non existent. With the PCP, things are different. The government is preparing policies in order to get the PCP final "ok" to the budget. Costa is preparing several policies like increase spending on the NHS, more subsidies to people at risk and 100% pay wages for workers in temporary lay-off. However, PCP seems a bit wary about these policies with PCP leader Jerónimo de Sousa, saying the government needs to give in more or the PCP votes against.

The Azores government agreement between all rightwing parties continues also to make some headlines.

https://twitter.com/expresso/status/1327203499399147520

Marcelo agreed to a solution for the Azores.

Expresso newspaper is reporting today a series of stories of what really happened behind the scenes in the last to weeks. President Marcelo approved the solution and instructed his representative in the Azores to approve the rightwing agreement as no other solution was possible. According to the newspaper, Marcelo refused any talks about early elections and considers that demonizing CHEGA is a huge political mistake. On the PSD side, Expresso newspaper also says that a secret talk between Rio and Ventura occurred in order for CHEGA to drop several of their policies and approve the AD coalition in the Azores. Also, according to the newspaper, the PSD caucus leader also forced Ventura to change CHEGA's press release as the PSD didn't liked the content of the text. CHEGA accepted the PSD revised press release.

[Mike88]

Azores government formation: PSD reveals the deals it made with CDS, PPM, CHEGA and IL.

https://twitter.com/Jornalacores9/status/1327392274045677570

PSD / Azores Regional Council makes public the governance and parliamentary incidence agreements

The PSD-Azores has made public all of the deal they made with the rightwing parties, CDS, PPM, CHEGA and IL. The PSD-CDS-PPM alliance, the so called AD, is a 2 term agreement and the 3 parties will run in a coalition in the next regional elections, schedule for 2024. Coalitions for the 2021 local elections between the 3 parties are also predicted. The 3 parties agreed to persue several policies on many issues like on health, the creation of the "Health voucher" to fight wainting lists by creating partnerships with private hospitals to make surgeries and other health services and on infrastructures, the reconstruction of the Flores harbour, destroyed in 2019 by hurricane Lorenzo. With IL, PSD agreed to cut taxes, rationalize the public business sector and reduce its size. Both parties also agreed to reform the energy sector by making audits to the regional energy department and focus on renewable energies.

The deal between the AD parties and CHEGA ensures the reduction of public subsidies, also agreed with IL, reduction of members of the regional parliament and fighting corruption. Parties also signed a pledge to respect "the dignity and value of the human person" as it's written in the Constitution and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The new AD (PSD-CDS-PPM) government in the Azores is expected to be sworn in next week.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

Let us all stop for a second to observe the magic moment when CHEGA signs a pledge to respect the dignity and the value of the human person.

[Mike88]

Let us all stop for a second to observe the magic moment when CHEGA signs a pledge to respect the dignity and the value of the human person.

All for power, nothing against power.

[CumbrianLefty]

Let us all stop for a second to observe the magic moment when CHEGA signs a pledge to respect the dignity and the value of the human person.

I'm sure they will get round that somehow

[Mike88]

Let us all stop for a second to observe the magic moment when CHEGA signs a pledge to respect the dignity and the value of the human person.

I'm sure they will get round that somehow

Then get a look at this:

Ventura defends gay marriage and abortion and criticizes Salazar:

https://twitter.com/Publico/status/1327965606138753024

CHEGA: André Ventura defends gay marriage and criticizes Salazar: “He delayed us a lot”

In an interview to Lusa news agency, CHEGA leader André Ventura said he supports gay marriage and wouldn't have any problem in having a gay son. He also said he supports the decriminalization of abortion. His party platform is clearly anti abortion and anti gay marriage, but Ventura says he doesn't agree with his party platform. He also was critical of former dictator António de Oliveira Salazar, saying he wasn't good for the country as he delayed the development of the country adding he rejects any links towards the old regime as Salazar is just an old ghost of the past and Portugal needs to put it aside.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

In an interview to Lusa news agency, CHEGA leader André Ventura said he supports gay marriage and wouldn't have any problem in having a gay son. He also said he supports the decriminalization of abortion. His party platform is clearly anti abortion and anti gay marriage, but Ventura says he doesn't agree with his party platform. He also was critical of former dictator António de Oliveira Salazar, saying he wasn't good for the country as he delayed the development of the country adding he rejects any links towards the old regime as Salazar is just an old ghost of the past and Portugal needs to put it aside.

> CHEGA literally all revolves around him (or so Ventura would like)

> "Well yeah I don't agree with my party's platform, actually"

[Mike88]

In an interview to Lusa news agency, CHEGA leader André Ventura said he supports gay marriage and wouldn't have any problem in having a gay son. He also said he supports the decriminalization of abortion. His party platform is clearly anti abortion and anti gay marriage, but Ventura says he doesn't agree with his party platform. He also was critical of former dictator António de Oliveira Salazar, saying he wasn't good for the country as he delayed the development of the country adding he rejects any links towards the old regime as Salazar is just an old ghost of the past and Portugal needs to put it aside.

> CHEGA literally all revolves around him (or so Ventura would like)

> "Well yeah I don't agree with my party's platform, actually"

The funny thing is that he released a statement, early this evening, saying he didn't say what he said, regarding gay marriage, although he didn't explained what he really supports. Nothing surprising if you know Ventura.

[CumbrianLefty]

So what odds on a "real CHEGA" splitting away soon?

[Mike88]

So what odds on a "real CHEGA" splitting away soon?

It's a possibility, no doubt, but I don't see it in the near future. Not until the next general elections. What could happen is that many far-right groups, that are within CHEGA, could start to leave the party as the party starts to become more and more as part of the "system" and go to fringe groups on the right that are collecting signatures to become official parties. But a full blown split in unlikely as Ventura still controls with a steady hand the party as a whole. The result he will get in the January Presidential election will also be crucial for the party.

[Mike88]

Azores: New regional parliament was sworn in today. New Speaker is also from the PSD.

https://twitter.com/Jornalacores9/status/1328275670884028420

The swearing in of the Legislative Assembly of the Azores is scheduled for today

The 57 new MPs of the Azores regional parliament were sworn in today in Horta city, Faial island. After the swearing in ceremony, parties voted on the leadership of the regional parliament. The PSD chose MP Luís Garcia as candidate for speaker, while the PS chose MP Bárbara Chaves as candidate. The PSD candidate won the vote by a 29 to 28 margin, with the PSD candidate getting the votes of all rightwing parties, and the PS candidate getting the votes of all leftwing parties.

[Mike88]

2021 Presidential elections: President expected to call the election date next week.

https://twitter.com/ojeconomico/status/1328779445134475264

President of the Republic to schedule presidential elections for January 24

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is receiving parties to discuss the extention of the current State of Emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2021 budget and the January 2021 elections. Parties received today, IL, CHEGA, PEV and PAN, told the press that the President will call the election next week for January 24, as it widely expected. They also announced that the President is deciding in favour of extending the current state of emergency but with different categories. According to the parties, the government wants to create a 3 tier system of municipalities according to number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants. A similar system is already in use as municipalities with cases above 240 per 100,000 inhabitants have a series of restrictions, like weekend curfews, but in the extention of the state of emergency, only municipalities with more than 960 cases per 100,000 inhabitants would maintain the current and possibly harder restrictions.

[Mike88]

Some political updates:

Minister of internal affairs accused of lying because of the date of an inquiry regarding the murder of an Ukrainian immigrant by border patrol agents in Lisbon airport:

https://twitter.com/TSFRadio/status/1328987580692459520

Ihor Homeniuk's death. PSD and BE want political consequences if minister lied in Parliament

The minister of internal affairs, Eduardo Cabrita, is being accused by PSD and BE of lying in Parliament because of the inquiry surrounding the murder of Ihor Homeniuk, an Ukrainian immigrant, by border patrol agents in Lisbon airport. On March 10 this year, Ihor Homeniuk arrived in Lisbon airport with no documents and was arrested, but fell ill and had to be rushed to hospitals. In the next day, he was sent to a detain center in Lisbon airport but there he was beaten up by border patrol agents and died shortly after. The SEF, the border control agency, opened an inquiry on March 30 and the agents were accused of murder and torture. However, the dates of the inquiry are creating controversy. Eduardo Cabrita told Parliament an inquiry was opened on March 13, when, according to the SEF, the official inquiry only started on March 30. Opposition parties accuse the minister of lying to parliament and also demand reforms in the SEF as reports of bad management and abuse of power are increasing. The media reported, last week, that there's a lot of pressure for the SEF director to resign and that the minister was planning a "luxury exit" for the incumbent SEF director by nominating her to a newly created post in the UK to support the Portuguese community during Brexit.

André Ventura is fined by 400 euros for discriminating the gypsy community:

https://twitter.com/Publico/status/1329045080649441286

Racism: André Ventura fined by more than 400 euros for discriminating against gypsies

CHEGA leader and MP André Ventura was fined by the Commission for Equality and Against Racial Discrimination (CICDR) for what he wrote on Facebook against the gypsy community. He's forced to pay 438,81 euros. In August 2020, Ventura wrote on Facebook this:

“The truth always prevails. Almost 90% of the Roma community live on "other things" than their own work. As long as we do not realize that there is a structural problem of dependency and deliberate non-integration here, it will continue to grow uncontrollably.

Roma/gypsy organization criticized Ventura and sent a complaint to the CICDR, which now imposed this fine on Mr Ventura. The issue could still continue into the DA office where he could be accused or not. The highest penalty is 5 years in jail for the crime of racial discrimination.

Also, the Ervededo parish by-election is just less than a month away, but the administrative commission that runs the parish until the election, founds more than 20,000 euros in hidden debts:

https://twitter.com/TSFRadio/status/1328384096075014144

Debts of 20,000 euros detected in Chaves parish with by-election

The administrative commission that runs Ervededo parish, Chaves, Vila Real, until the 13 December by-election, composed by 2 PSD members and 1 PS member, found more than 20,000 euros in debts and liens that weren't public until now. The commission also says the outgoing PSD parish president, Ilídio Jorge Correia, is refusing to give documents about the financial situation of the parish and isn't also naming who was in charge of the parish accounts. They also accuse Ilídio Jorge Correia of taking money from the parish accounts for private or other expenses. The PSD-Chaves and Mr Correia were asked, by the local media, to respond to the accusations but they remain silent.

Everything indicates that the December 13 Ervededo by-election will be a PS gain.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

André Ventura fined for anti-ziganism?
Oh no! I'm so shocked! Who could have seen this coming?

Bruh Mr. Trocatintas is a genius in some ways, you couldn't ask a comedy screenwriter to come up with a better character.

Also oops Ervededo... Lean PS -> Safe PS

[Mike88]

André Ventura fined for anti-ziganism?
Oh no! I'm so shocked! Who could have seen this coming?

Bruh Mr. Trocatintas is a genius in some ways, you couldn't ask a comedy screenwriter to come up with a better character.

Also oops Ervededo... Lean PS -> Safe PS

To be fair, anti-ziganism is a bit too common in Portuguese politics. There are a lot examples, especially in local politics, of mayors of the PS, PSD, CDU and others, in being very tough on the romani/gypsy community. Even this year, the PS was embarrassed as a mayor of a PS bastion, Azambuja, proposed making a cordon sanitaire in a building inhabited by gypsies. Ventura is quite tiring on the issue as he's always talking about it.

Ventura is almost the same as Groucho Marx: "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others."

[Mike88]

New controversy as PCP goes ahead with their party congress, in the last weekend of November, although with limited gatherings:

https://twitter.com/Publico/status/1329347946857570304

Covid-19: Without guests and without tables and with half of the delegates, this will be the PCP Congress

Like the Avante festival in September, the PCP' party congress, to be held between 28 and 30 November, is surrounded in controversy. The party doesn't intent to cancel the congress in Loures city and has announced that the delegates were cut by half, there will no tables and no guests will be invited. However, the right, mainly the PSD, are accusing the PCP of having no common sense and that they should cancel the congress. The PSD, and other parties on the right, also accuse the government of giving in to the Communists and that this gives a bad example to the country. The President of the Republic has also concerns about the congress as he decided to extend the State of Emergency. On their part, the PCP accuses the PSD and Rui Rio of being "arrogant", adding that political activities aren't forbidden and that Rio would like to put the Constitution in quarantine.

[Mike88]

Intercampus poll for CM newspaper/CMTV:

Vote share %:

37.1% PS (-0.4)
24.2% PSD (-0.6)
  7.7% BE (-3.3)
  7.3% CHEGA (-0.4)
  5.3% PAN (+1.2)
  4.9% CDU (+0.6)
  4.1% CDS (nc) 
  3.3% IL (+0.9)
  1.8% Livre (+1.4)
  1.6% Others (+1.2)
  2.8% Invalid/Blank (-0.5)

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

3.6 Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (-0.2)
3.2 António Costa (-0.1)
3.0 Catarina Martins (-0.1)
2.9 Rui Rio (-0.1)
2.9 André Silva (+0.3)
2.7 Jerónimo de Sousa (+0.1)
2.7 Francisco Rodrigues dos Santos (+0.2)
2.7 João Cotrim Figueiredo (+0.2)
2.0 André Ventura (nc)
2.0 Joacine Katar Moreira (+0.2)

Poll conducted between 9 and 16 November 2020. Polled 622 voters. MoE of 3.90%.

[Mike88]

Extention of the State of Emergency approved only with the votes of PS and PSD:

https://twitter.com/observadorpt/status/1329755357124685824

State of emergency approved with less consensus. PCP congress opens Left-Right war

The extention of the current State of Emergency passed, this morning, in Parliament with the votes of PS and PSD. CDS, CH, IL and PCP voted against, while PAN and BE abstained. During the debate, the government said that in 2 weeks, the state of emergency will probably be renewed again. However, the debate saw a clear divide between left and right with PSD/CDS accusing the government of creating exceptions like for the PCP congress. The PSD said it's unfair that millions of Portuguese are stuck at home while a few PCP members can go happily to a party congress. The PSD also accused the government of giving in to the Communists as they need their votes to pass the budget and survive in power. On their part, the PCP accused the PSD of using CHEGA's language and that if the PSD attacks aren't an order from CHEGA. The government also defended the PCP saying the current State of Emergency law as passed during the Cavaco Silva governments (1985-1995) and accused the right of trying to suspend democracy.

[crals]

Intercampus poll for CM newspaper/CMTV:

Vote share %:

37.1% PS (-0.4)
24.2% PSD (-0.6)
  7.7% BE (-3.3)
  7.3% CHEGA (-0.4)
  5.3% PAN (+1.2)
  4.9% CDU (+0.6)
  4.1% CDS (nc) 
  3.3% IL (+0.9)
  1.8% Livre (+1.4)
  1.6% Others (+1.2)
  2.8% Invalid/Blank (-0.5)

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

3.6 Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (-0.2)
3.2 António Costa (-0.1)
3.0 Catarina Martins (-0.1)
2.9 Rui Rio (-0.1)
2.9 André Silva (+0.3)
2.7 Jerónimo de Sousa (+0.1)
2.7 Francisco Rodrigues dos Santos (+0.2)
2.7 João Cotrim Figueiredo (+0.2)
2.0 André Ventura (nc)
2.0 Joacine Katar Moreira (+0.2)

Poll conducted between 9 and 16 November 2020. Polled 622 voters. MoE of 3.90%.

Almost 2% for Livre at his point? Who are those people?

[Mike88]

Almost 2% for Livre at his point? Who are those people?

Yeah, the smaller parties numbers in this poll are weird. Livre at almost 2% is weird, but who knows, BE voters pissed off with the party voting for Livre? But, that, IMO, doesn't makes a lot of sense as Livre is, right now, at the same level of the Alliance. PAN at 5% is also very high for them. And ahead of CDU.