🇵🇹 Portugal's politics and elections 2.0

[Mike88]

2021 local elections: No agreement on the election date.

https://twitter.com/SICNoticias/status/1408480420358930434

Local elections. Parties without consensus on election date

The government met today with parties represented in Parliament to discuss the date for the 2021 local elections. The preferred date of the Government is 26 September, but there's no concensus about this date. The 26 September is defended by the Government, PS, BE, CHEGA and IL. The other option is 10 October, and it's defended by PSD, PCP, CDS and PEV. The option of 3 October is only defended by PAN.

Despite this lack of consensus, the most likely that for the election is still 26 September and the government is expected to make a decision on the next cabinet meeting next week.

[Mike88]

2021 local elections update:

- Good news from Viseu city. The PS candidate for the city, João Azevedo, was released from hospital are being hospitalized for two weeks, in a ICU, due to a heart problem;

- In Maia city, there's chaos in the PS. The candidate picked by the local branch was rejected by the national party, and instead the 2017 candidate, Francisco Vieira de Carvalho, will be the nominee. The local party is furious as they don't want Vieira de Carvalho as candidate and have already said they are ashamed by the decision of the national PS;

- In Gaia city, the PSD is now looking for a new candidate. The local party is expected to announce a name in the next few days and the most likely name is Cancela Moura, the man in the center of the whole debacle in the PSD-Gaia. Cancela Moura is quite divisive in the PSD-Gaia, but he controls the "party's machine" in the city and Rio doesn't want to confront him;

- In Lisbon city, another candidate has been announced. Livre leader, Rui Tavares, was nominated as the party's candidate for Lisbon mayor. In 2017, Livre supported Fernando Medina. Mr Tavares is now the 11th candidate to run for Lisbon city in this election;

- In Montijo city, there's a full blown war between PS and PSD. The PSD candidate, João Afonso, is accusing the PS mayor, and candidate for reelection, of allowing corrupt deals inside Montijo city hall, and has already sent info to the DA office. The PS mayor, Nuno Canta, says the accusations of Mr Afonso are ludicrous, but has, nonetheless, opened an investigation within city hall. A few weeks ago, it was also reported the PS mayor called the police to prevent the PSD candidate, and councillor, of filming the a city hall meeting;

More updates when available.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

The government is being heavily criticized for not joining or signing an European letter that condemns the attacks on LGBT rights and freedom of expression in Hungary. From left to right, parties are criticizing the government, from the Liberals (IL) who accuse Costa's government of having no credibility and of having a "proximity" to the Hungarian government, to BE who trashes the government by saying that there "cannot be any neutrality regarding human rights". The government explanation is that because Portugal is now in the European Council Presidency, the country needs to be neutral and be a mediator. The Socialist party youth, JS, is also criticizing the government. Others accuse the government of ending Portugal's presidency in the worst possible way, but the foreign minister, Santos Silva, says the whole matter is a "mistaken assessment". 13 EU countries signed this letter condemning Hungary.

Huh, this is surprising. From what I have read the signatories are now 17 and include all the EU countries in Western Europe except for Portugal. Considering that Portugal's mandate at the European Council Presidency ends in a matter of days, is the government going to sign that letter in the next week?

[Mike88]

The government is being heavily criticized for not joining or signing an European letter that condemns the attacks on LGBT rights and freedom of expression in Hungary. From left to right, parties are criticizing the government, from the Liberals (IL) who accuse Costa's government of having no credibility and of having a "proximity" to the Hungarian government, to BE who trashes the government by saying that there "cannot be any neutrality regarding human rights". The government explanation is that because Portugal is now in the European Council Presidency, the country needs to be neutral and be a mediator. The Socialist party youth, JS, is also criticizing the government. Others accuse the government of ending Portugal's presidency in the worst possible way, but the foreign minister, Santos Silva, says the whole matter is a "mistaken assessment". 13 EU countries signed this letter condemning Hungary.

Huh, this is surprising. From what I have read the signatories are now 17 and include all the EU countries in Western Europe except for Portugal. Considering that Portugal's mandate at the European Council Presidency ends in a matter of days, is the government going to sign that letter in the next week?

Yes, Portugal will sign the letter after the term ends on July 1st, but the government was a bit pressured to say that they would indeed sign the letter after the end of the Portuguese Presidency. The media was very harsh against the government and many op-eds in newspapers trashed the government's explanation of neutrality with the argument that if the European Council Presidency is neutral in matters like human rights, what's its purpose?

[Mike88]

50% toll reduction in highways to start on July 1st, but electric cars will have none of the original additional benefits:

https://twitter.com/Publico/status/1409464591751520258

Roads: Toll discounts start without benefits for electric cars.

The government has given the final approval for the reduction of tolls in several highways across the country. The toll reduction bill was proposed by the PSD, and supported by all opposition parties, with only the PS voting against it. The government was furious with this approval and tried to make the bill unconstitutional but, at the end, the government gave up and decided to go ahead with the toll reduction bill. However, the PSD bill also said that electric cars would have a 75% discount in toll, but this is not to be. The government and highway dealers failed to find a way to differentiate electric cars from all the others in toll porticos, and therefore, who owns an electric car will not get the original reduction in toll in highways, and will have the same as other cars.

P.S.: The highway I use the most, A28, will have this reduction.

[Mike88]

PS will postpone their congress, for the 3rd time in a row, to September:

https://twitter.com/observadorpt/status/1409551092564779018

PS will postpone Congress to mid September due to pandemic situation.

The PS will postpone their congress for mid September, the media is reporting today. This is the 3rd postponement of the party's congress as the original congress was to be held on 30-31 May 2020. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic in Portugal at that time, the party postponed the congress for 2021, and schedule the weekend of 10-11 July 2021 to hold it. But it the Covid situation in Lisbon worsening by the day, the party has, again, made the decision to postpone the congress, now to mid September, just days before the local elections. An official date is still to be announced. However, this decision is being very badly received by the tiny opposition of Costa within the PS.

[Mike88]

Eurosondagem poll for Palmela - CDU incumbent, 64,000 inhabitants:

Vote share %: (compared with the 2017 election results)

45.9% CDU (+5.2), 5/6 seats
22.5% PS (-5.8 ), 2/3
  9.6% PSD (-2.1), 1
  7.3% Carlos de Sousa (new), 0
  4.2% BE (-1.8 ), 0
  2.5% CHEGA (new), 0
  2.1% PAN (new), 0
  1.1% José Calado (-7.1), 0
  4.8% Others/Invalid (-0.3), 0

Poll conducted between 16 and 18 June 2021. Polled 1,008 voters. MoE of 3.06%

[Mike88]

Controversy continues after the deadly run over of Eduardo's Cabrita official car on the Lisbon-Elvas highway:

https://twitter.com/cmjornal/status/1409889061343531008

Brisa denies the Interior Minister and says that the site of the works on the A6 where the worker died were signposted

The deadly run over of a road worker on the A6 highway, between Lisbon and Elvas, by the official ministerial car of Eduardo Cabrita, Interior Minister, continues to be involved in big controversy. The police is already investigating the case, but the Interior ministry is trying to justify the accident, but more and more doubts are being raised. The Interior Minister says that the worker who died, crossed the highway and that the road works weren't announced no the site. But the road concessionaire, Brisa, says the Ministry is lying because the works were clearly announced on the site. Another controversy is that the Interior Minister is refusing to disclose the speed the car was going when it ran over the worker, prompting accusations from the opposition, PSD and CDS, that the Ministry is trying to cover up the case. The media also reports that, because of the Ministry's explanations, the insurance companies are refusing to pay a sum to the workers widow, and will wait for the results of the investigation, plus that no government official was present at the workers funeral.

[Mike88]

Constitutional Court rules the gender self-determination law unconstitutional:

https://twitter.com/JornalNoticias/status/1409975996963459074

Gender self-determination law declared unconstitutional

The Constitutional Court has ruled that the gender self-determination law, approved by the government in 2018, is unconstitutional as the government exceeded its competences in this matter which, according to the Court, are the sole responsibility of Parliament. The Court didn't analyse the law itself as it was requested by a group of 86 MPs from PSD, CDS and PS. This law was approved by Costa's cabinet in June 2018, but in 2019, after the statute of the law was published, PSD and CDS criticized the law, specially the part that stipulated that schools should allow students to use the bathroom they want according to their gender identity. However, the Court didn't dispute this.

[Mike88]

Covid-19: PM António Costa in isolation after one of his staff members tested positive for the virus.

https://twitter.com/RTPNoticias/status/1410225356410265612

António Costa in prophylactic isolation - RTP Notícias

PM António Costa will be in isolation in the next few days because one of his staff members, in the PM's office, tested positive for Covid. Costa is already fully vaccinated but Health authorities decided, nonetheless, that the PM should be isolated.

Also today, tensions could arise, again, in the PSD. The party's "tribunal" will analyse, this afternoon, 7 protests from local party branches against the candidates chosen by Rui Rio. These local branches accuse the PSD national leadership or "running over" the decisions of local parties and want a clarification. In 2017, in a similar situation, some PSD lists in Viana do Castelo had to be redone after the "tribunal" struck them down. The "tribunal" is also likely to decide who has the final say in picking candidates, in order to avoid these situations in the future.

[Mike88]

Pitagórica poll for Santarém city - PSD incumbent, 57,000 inhabitants:

Vote share %: (compared with the 2017 election results)

46.5% PSD (+3.3)
34.9% PS (+0.8 )
  7.1% CDU (-0.5)
  4.7% BE (+0.6)
  3.1% CHEGA (new)
  1.4% IL (new)
  2.3% Others/Invalid (-3.3)

Poll conducted between 24 May and 20 June 2021. Polled 669 voters. MoE of 3.84%.

[Mike88]

The ongoing run over of Eduardo Cabrita's official car continues with new revelations and controversies. This time, the media is reporting that the police was barred from doing forensics on the car by high command orders. GNR denies the report:

https://twitter.com/observadorpt/status/1410479633682866182

GNR prevented "by superior order" from making tests to Eduardo Cabrita's BMW

This report broke this morning and in fueling even more the controversy surrounding the weird accident with Eduardo Cabrita's ministerial car. Correio da Manhã newspaper is reporting that the Republican National Guard (GNR) was forbidden to do forensics on the car by "superior orders". However, the GNR is denying the report and in an official press released says that every diligence is being followed and nothing is being barred and forbidden. Despite this, the controversy continues with the silence of the minister and his office regarding the accident, and the media/pundits are trashing Cabrita and are starting to point their guns towards António Costa also. The PSD leader Rui Rio, already reacted by saying that if Costa continues to support Cabrita, he will be responsible for this whole situation. The main point of the controversy is the speed of the car, which the media says it could have reached 200 kms/per hour.

[Mike88]

2021 local elections: The election date is 26 September.

The government has just announced that the local elections will be held on September 26th, as expected.

[Mike88]

Russigate: Protection Data says that Lisbon city hall violated 225 rules in the law, which are worth 4.5 billion euros in fines.

https://twitter.com/noticiaaominuto/status/1410634332641890304

Russiagate: CML subject to fines of up to 20 million for 225 misdemeanors.

In the day the Data Protection Commission chrairwoman, Filipa Galvão, goes to Parliament to explain Lisbon's city hall actions, a report from the Data Protection reveals that Lisbon city hall clearly violated the law. Jornal de Notícias writes that in the report, the Commission says that Lisbon city hall did 225 offenses to the Data Protection law, in which they preview a fine that could reach 4.5 billion euros, a maximum of 20 million euros per offense. There could still be mitigation in the fines as the Commission can still consider the nature of the offense, the gravity and the time the offense was done. Lisbon city hall now has 10 days, week days only, to respond to this report and accusation.

[Mike88]

Government reshuffle in the horizon? Foreign minister opens the door for his departure from cabinet as pressure mounts on Eduardo Cabrita:

https://twitter.com/RTPNoticias/status/1410976566205726729

Government Reshuffle? MNE admits leaving the Executive - RTP Notícias

The idea of a government reshuffle has been debated for a long time now, as many ministers in Costa's cabinet have become very unpopular or "dead weights". This Friday, Foreign minister, Augusto Santos Silva, seems to have opened the door for his departure from government as he told the Expresso newspaper that he hopes that the PS will let him end his career as a professor, but didn't defined a timetable. This interview happens in a time where the media/pundits are pressing Costa to do a government reshuffle, as many ministers, as said above, are very unpopular and many are involved, over and over again, in scandals. The recent "incident" surrounding Eduardo Cabrita's official car is putting pressure on Costa to sack him, and there's even pressure from within the PS as many party members are worried and add that the current cabinet is "tired" and "worn out", and not capable of dealing the challenges ahead. These PS members want a reshuffle now and not after the local elections, as it seems to be Costa's plan.

[Mike88]

Government reshuffle? Costa rejects the idea of a reshuffle of his cabinet.

https://twitter.com/Publico/status/1411189521853583361

Government: António Costa to PÚBLICO: “No reshuffle is planned on the horizon”

PM António Costa is rejecting the idea of a government reshuffle. To Público newspaper, the PM says that he's not planning any reshuffle in the horizon, and added that all his ministers are doing a good job and that stability is needed right now, not change. He didn't talked about Cabrita, but he commented on the statement from his foreign minister, Augusto Santos Silva, saying that Mr Silva still has a lot of time left in cabinet but said this: "Even the coldest rationalist always has a naive moment when talking to journalists". About the rumour he will not run again in 2023, to be European Council President, Costa said that "things happen when they happen", adding he's not looking for other employment at the moment and confirmed he was offered Charles Michel current post in 2019 but that he declined.

Like written in posts above, a possible Government reshuffle is being defended by the media/pundits, even within the PS, as many accuse the government of being "worn-out". The man in the center of the current big controversy, Eduardo Cabrita, spoke for the first time in two weeks about the car incident and said he will not resign but said all is in the hands of Costa. He asked the opposition to not use this case for political purposes and that no one is above the law.

[Mike88]

Another "Treasure" from the local elections campaign:

José Manuel Frankenstein Silva, candidate of 7 parties for Coimbra City Hall.

They had one job...

[Mike88]

50% toll reduction in highways to start on July 1st, but electric cars will have none of the original additional benefits:

Controversy as the Government isn't following the law passed in Parliament and is making several changes in toll reductions:

https://twitter.com/JornalNoticias/status/1411591117930340352

Light vehicles out of the additional discounts on ex-free highways

As the meassure was being ratified by the Government, there was already a small "picardy" between PS and PSD, as the government was giving the impression that the toll reduction was their idea, which infuriated the PSD. But now, there's another controversy. The media is reporting that the government isn't following the law passed by the opposition in Parliament and is defining different rules. For example, toll reductions don't go to 50%, they don't include light vehicles (personal cars), and there's a time limit for the reduction that is different for each highway, in which in some highways toll reductions are only put into practice during daytime and in others during the night. The opposition is already accusing the government of not following the law and disrespecting Parliament.

* In the highway I use, A28, the toll reduction is only in practice between 8pm and 7:59am. Ridiculous.

[Mike88]

CHEGA approves their new platform that includes life imprisonment and a racial ethnic registration:

https://twitter.com/Publico/status/1411383701863288838

Chega defends “racial ethnic registration” and re-includes life imprisonment in its program

CHEGA's controversial redraw of their platform/party program ended this weekend with the approval of the final draft of the platform. This redraw was controversial as it was secret and during the last party congress, party delegates were unaware of the party's position in key issues. There was also divisions within Ventura's team as some want to "moderate" the party, while others want to maintain the current path. The party included several policies in their program like life imprisonment, and one, which is raising some eyebrows, that proposes the creation of a racial ethnic registration, in order to identify communities with subsidy dependence.

However, the party's new platform has just 25 pages, down from the previous 60 pages, and has erased many of CHEGA's flagship policies in the past like the reduction of MPs, a full review of the Constitution or the reform of the political system into a Presidential one, and other policies.

Adding to this, CHEGA is now also using the YMCA as a campaign song, but Ventura's dance moves are, well.... you decide:

https://twitter.com/joao_antunes04/status/1411707119779332097

[Mike88]

2021 local elections update:

- Fernando Medina, PS mayor of Lisbon, launched officially his campaign for reelection yesterday. In a ceremony where PM António Costa was also in center stage, both Costa and Medina trashed the PSD and said that unlike the PSD, this election isn't "to preserve the leaser". Medina promissed more affordable housing and free kindergartens. However, pundits remind that the Russiagate affair continues to cloud Medina's campaign;

- The PSD has a new candidate in Gaia city and it's... Cancela Moura, of course. The man in the center of the withdraw of former PSD candidate António Oliveira was the only available option left to the party. In 2017, Mr Moura only got 20% of the votes, against the 61% of the PS. There's no polling yet from Gaia, but predictions suggest that this year's results will not differ a lot from 2017;

- Also in the PSD, tensions continue between Rui Rio and the party's tribunal regarding local candidates. A ruling was expected last week, but the tribunal postponed the decision to this week and according to the media, the tribunal is set to reject 3 candidates picked by Rio, against the wishes of the local parties: Barcelos, Lourinhã and Castelo Branco. Rio has already said he will fight any rejection of candidates and could send this to the Constitutional Court. The good news for the PSD is that they didn't have any shot in winning these 3 cities prior to this, but the bad news is the awful image this gives to the party considering the bad prospects for the party in the elections, despite the bad moment the government is going through;

- In local elections candidates changing parties is quite normal, but in some places, it's a bit to much. In Águeda city, Aveiro district, the current mayor is now running with the support of the PSD, but in the past he was a PS member, but even further in the past, he also ran in the CDS lists for a parish in Águeda. Also in Águeda, the CDS candidate is a PSD dissident, and the PS candidate was in the past a PSD councillor. So, yeah;

- In Moita city, while the PSD candidate was presenting its campaign, a man tried to slap the PSD candidate for Setúbal city, Fernando Negrão. According to people in the presentation, the man in question spent a lot of time insulting the PSD and its candidates and at one point tried to slap Mr Negrão in the face. Mr Negrão downplayed the incident as a "democratic tiff";

More updates when available.

[Mike88]

2021 local elections: Amadora's race back in the headlines, as one of Portugal's most popular TV hosts supports the controversial PSD candidate Suzana Garcia:

https://twitter.com/itwitting/status/1412414108230635529

Manuel Luís Goucha will chair the Honor Committee for Suzana Garcia's candidacy

The Amadora mayoral race is back in the headlines because of the announcement that Manuel Luís Goucha, one of Portugal's most popular TV hosts, is supporting the PSD candidacy of Suzana Garcia. Ms Garcia candidacy is very controversial with many people, even within the PSD, uncomfortable with her run because of her controversial positions in some issues like, f.e., her support for the chemical castration of paedophiles. Mr Goucha, openly gay and married, is a very popular TV host on TVI channel and has in the past supported high ranking politicians like Cavaco Silva in the 90's, José Sócrates in 2005 and even António Costa in his 2009 run for Lisbon mayor. Suzana Garcia was a regular presence in Goucha's TV program. Nonetheless, Mr Goucha is being heavily criticized on social media, with many accusing him of giving "cover to the far-right".

[crals]

Goucha has invited a neo-Nazi criminal as a guest on his show. This is hardly the worst thing he's done.

[Mike88]

2021 local election campaign: Campaign posters.

Setúbal - CHEGA
https://twitter.com/ArquivoEphemera/status/1411296945591750659

CHEGA (Enough) Liberate Setúbal

Almada - PSD/CDS/Alliance/MPT/PPM coalition
https://twitter.com/ArquivoEphemera/status/1410269332043714562

45 years of the left and we continue with tents in Almada. How about changing policy?

Figueira da Foz - Santana Lopes
https://twitter.com/ArquivoEphemera/status/1409932211609128961

Figueira has to be more. A connection for life. Pedro Santana Lopes (PSL)

Figueira da Foz - PS
https://twitter.com/ArquivoEphemera/status/1409465317584166917

Figueira, more quality of life.

Póvoa de Varzim - PS
https://twitter.com/ArquivoEphemera/status/1408021715414888448

João Trocado, Loosen Moorings

Sintra - IL
https://twitter.com/ArquivoEphemera/status/1407080057043042308

Did they promise to turn the disc over? If you want different, don't vote the same.

Amadora - PSD/CDS/Alliance/MPT/PDR coalition
https://twitter.com/ArquivoEphemera/status/1406966621546164228

Giving a voice to Amadora. Suzana Garcia.

Posters from the Ephemera Archive twitter account.

And finally, another "treasure" from this campaign:

Chocolate Againstdances, to ensure the necessary social distance. 2 meters, don't forget!

[Mike88]

Goucha has invited a neo-Nazi criminal as a guest on his show. This is hardly the worst thing he's done.

Yeah, I agree with you, plus he was always very close to Suzana Garcia, so this is hardly a surprise. The PSD strategy for the inner suburban ring of Lisbon has been the same for years now: nominate someone well known with some controversial positions. In 2009, the PSD almost won Odivelas with Hernâni Carvalho, a TV host that hosts a lot criminal programs; in 2017 there was Ventura and the rest is history, and now is Suzana Garcia. Both 2009 Odivelas and 2017 Loures gave the PSD very good results, and I'm starting to feel that all this "publicity" she's getting could backfire on the left and she could gave a surprise result in Amadora. We'll see.

[Mike88]

PSD tribunal confirms that Rio violated party rules, but doesn't reject the names due to the proximity of the elections.

https://twitter.com/Publico/status/1413207960755519488

PSD: Jurisdiction accuses the direction of Rio of "serious violation of the statutes" in the cases of Barcelos and Castelo Branco.

The PSD "tribunal" has ruled that PSD leader Rui Rio violated party rules by imposing candidates in the local elections, against the wishes of some local parties. The tribunal said that in the case of Castelo Branco, Lourinhã and Barcelos, the rules say that the local parties have a word in the candidate's nomination but Rio didn't follow the rules, according to the Court, and nominated someone else in these 3 cities. However, due to the proximity of the elections and the timetable to submit candidacies, the final date is 2 August, the tribunal didn't reject the names of the candidates and now gives an opportunity to the local parties to ratify the names. Lourinhã will do that, in Barcelos, despite the local party filed a complaint against the PSD to the Constitutional Court to stop the candidacy of the name picked by Rio, the district branch says that they are committed with the candidacy of Mário Constantino, while in Castelo Branco the party isn't mobilized and says the result of Castelo Branco will be the sole responsibility of Rui Rio. The PSD leadership says the ruling doesn't make sense as the leadership has to have a final say in the candidate's name and to have power to resolve internal disputes.