🇵🇹 Portugal's politics and elections 2.0

[Mike88]

PSD reveals its election manifesto:

https://twitter.com/dntwit/status/1479506630609813504

PSD wants to lower IRC rate to 17% in 2024

Rui Rio, PSD leader, presented this afternoon the party's manifesto for the elections. Called "New horizons for Portugal", the document has more than 160 pages and covers policies from Fiscal to the NHS and Climate Change. Rio, in his speech, said that the difference between him and the PS is that he will value "rigor and less ease" and that he will go to government no to "unravel" but to plan and act, adding for people to "trust him". The main policies are the following:

- Corporate tax reduction from 21% to 17% by 2024;
- 800 million euros tax cut in 2025 and 2026;
- Reduction of housing tax (IMI) from 0.3% to 0.25%;
- Reduction of VAT of restaurants to 6% until 2023;
- Reduction of bureaucracy in public services;
- Increase of links between Universities and businesses;
- Increase of parental leave from 20 to 26 weeks after the second child;
- Creation of a nationwide net of public kindergartens;
- Health plan for all children until 5 years old;
- Double the number university student residences by 2026;
- Reorganize the NHS with a strong bet on digitalization;
- Guarantee a family doctor for each Portuguese;
- Increase NHS support for oral and mental care;
- Reform of Courts with focus on the creation on special courts to deal with insolvencies;
- Creation of local plans for decarbonization and reward the best municipalities;
- Creation of incentives for business to be environment sustainable;
- Program to fight energy poverty, incentives for more green spaces in cities and increase protection of biodiversity;

[Mike88]

UCP–CESOP poll for RTP and Público newspaper:

Vote share %:

38% PS (-1)
32% PSD (+2)
  6% CDU (+1)
  6% BE (-1)
  5% CHEGA (nc)
  5% IL (nc)
  2% PAN (-1)
  2% CDS (nc)
  1% Livre (+1)
  3% Others/Invalid (-1)

Preferred PM:

52% António Costa
33% Rui Rio
15% Undecided

Poll conducted between 28 December 2021 and 5 January 2022. Polled 1,238 voters. MoE of 2.80%.

[Mike88]

Today's debates: PSD vs CDS and IL vs PAN.

- PSD vs CDS: A serene debate between both parties that have very little differences and are willing to form a coalition after the elections. The debate started with Rio explaining why PSD and CDS didn't formed a coalition, while "Chicão" said that Rio made a bad decision and was aligning himself with the PS. Rio responded by saying that he's the only one who can defeat the PS and that voters who don't like Costa should vote for him. In terms of policies, the main difference was on Euthanasia, as with taxes and the privatization of TAP airlines both were in the same page. Rio said that the PSD is against Euthanasia, but his personal position is different as the PSD has a proud history of "freedom of thinking". Rodrigues dos Santos defended that CDS is the party of life.

- IL vs PAN: Inês Sousa Real started the debate by defending environment policies are crucial, while Figueiredo said that economic growth needs to align with environment policies, but attacked PAN for being a "prohibitionist" party, for wanting to go too fast in terms of the transition to a green economy. PAN leader accused IL of being "negationist" which was refused by Figueiredo. Regarding the NHS, Sousa Real wants a universal healthcare system and accused IL of wanting to privatize the NHS. IL leader refused the claim, but pressed that the current system isn't working and has a lot of problems. IL also said they are willing to work with PAN in a government deal, if they drop ideas like video surveillance on fishing boats. Sousa Real said the idea is to preserve species.

[Mike88]

UCP–CESOP poll for RTP and Público newspaper on policy issues:

Priorities for the next government:

43% Invest more in the NHS
24% Cut taxes
16% Increase wages
13% Reform the Justice system
  4% Others/Undecided

Opinion of the Government's plan to bailout TAP airlines:

50% Against
41% In Favour
  9% Undecided

Construction of the new airport of Lisbon:

48% Against
39% In Favour
13% Undecided

Poll conducted between 28 December 2021 and 5 January 2022. Polled 1,238 voters. MoE of 2.80%.

[Mike88]

Today's debates: PSD vs Livre and PS vs PAN.

- PSD vs Livre: A debate by distance, as Rio was in Porto city and Tavares in Lisbon. It was a very calm debate, with Rio defending his policies of tax cuts, and with Tavares saying that the PSD is proposing a miracle. There were clear differences in the topic of the minimum wage, with Rio proposing to attach the wage growth with inflation and productivity, and Tavares proposed a 6% increase that, by 2026, will put the minimum wage at 1,000 euros. Rio also criticized Livre's policy of a Universal basic income (UBI).

- PS vs PAN: As the PSD vs Livre debate was ending, the PS vs PAN debate was starting on TVI. The debate started with Costa highlighting that PAN didn't force an early election, and PAN leader, Inês Sousa Real, also pressed on that point. She then defended a Universal basic income (UBI), corporate tax cuts, and cut in income taxes. Costa said he's open to discuss those policies with PAN. However, both clashed on the controversial topic of lithium exploration in Portugal, with Sousa Real criticizing the shady deals between the government and companies, and Costa defending that lithium exploration is good for the economy and that every project is subject to environment reports. Regarding the new Lisbon airport, Costa defended the Montijo option, while PAN criticized it adding that in 30 years, the airport will be under water because of rising sea levels, and said that Beja Airport, 193 km/120 miles from Lisbon, is a good alternative, which Costa labeled as ludicrous.

[Mike88]

CDS and IL presented their election manifestos:

The Liberals (IL) and CDS-PP, presented, this Saturday afternoon, their election manifestos. The Liberal presented 100 policies for the next parliamentary term that go from tax cuts, public investments and privatizations. CDS, in their manifesto, called "The Right right, for the same reasons as always", proposes several policies from, also, tax cuts to liberty of choice in education: The main policies of each party are the following:

Liberal Initiative (IL)

- Corporate tax cut to 15% from the current 21%;
- Creation of a flat IRS tax;
- Creation of a new Basic Health Law;
- NHS reform creating a mix system with private and public hospitals;
- Freedom of choice to pick a hospital and encourage competition between hospitals;
- Privatization of TAP airlines;
- Plus, privatization of the public bank Caixa Geral de Depósitos and RTP;
- Social Security reform with the elimination of Single Social Tax;
- Electoral reform with the creation of a mix system of FPTP with proportional representation;

CDS-People's Party (CDS-PP)

- Term limits for MPs, a maximum of 3 terms;
- Hiring more 9,000 officers for the security forces;
- Reversal of the extinction of SEF, the former boarder control agency;
- Stop the legalization of euthanasia;
- Creation of a winter pension supplement to help elderly people pay energy costs;
- Creation of a "caregiver voucher" for people who take care of elderly people in their homes;
- IRS tax cut for each additional child and increase in family allowance for those that earn less than 27,500 euros per year;
- Corporate tax reduction to 15% by 2026;
- 30% cut in the fuel tax;
- Creation of a "Green way health" for patients who cannot be treated in the public system, be treated in a private hospital;
- Privatization of TAP airlines;

[Mike88]

2022 local by-elections: By-election today on Touça parish, Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Guarda.

After two ties between the PS and PSD, since the 26 September local election, voters in Touça parish, Vila Nova de Foz Côa, will head for the polls for a 3rd time to elect a new parish assembly. 240 voters are registered to vote. On the 26 September, PS and PSD got each 72 votes, and one week later, another tie with 75 votes for both parties. The PSD controls the parish since 2005.

[Mike88]

Touça parish by-election: PS gain from PSD

Vote share %: (compared with the 26 September result)

47.7% PS (+0.5), 4 seats
46.5% PSD (-0.7), 3
  5.8% Blank/Invalid ballots (+0.1)

71.7% Turnout

The PS won by just a 2 vote difference: 82 ballots for the PS, 80 for the PSD.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

I seem to pleasantly notice a decline in CHEGA's polling now that we are actually very close to the election; is this real? I presume it is related to the apparent PSD surge.

[VPH]

The PSD's platform is quite moderate it seems

[Mike88]

I seem to pleasantly notice a decline in CHEGA's polling now that we are actually very close to the election; is this real? I presume it is related to the apparent PSD surge.

Well, it's clear that PS and PSD are campaigning hard for tactical voting on the right and on the left, and this is hurting CHEGA, as on the left it's hurting BE, CDU and PAN. The PSD surge is hurting CHEGA as voters who want to defeat Costa, know that only the PSD can do that, and maybe Rio's "dance" in issues like life imprisonment and social supports, may be a way to hold on to these voters without scaring more moderate voters, plus, Ventura has been also losing a bit of steam in the debates and his tone doesn't seem that effective, specially when he's pressed about his platform. However, there could be a "shy CHEGA vote" out there which pollsters could be missing, as some voters could be embarrassed to say they will vote CHEGA. But, so far, the trend seems to be a concentration of the vote of the right in the PSD, thus hurting CHEGA and CDS, IL at a lesser extent, and the leftwing vote on the PS.

To point also that mobilization is crucial for both sides: the right is pretty energized as they see a path to defeat Costa, and the left seems to be suspicious between each other. Plus, there is the problem of voting will work on election day because of the people confined because of Covid, which could create fears in parts of the electorate or depress turnout if not well managed. A decision on this matter is expected during this week.

The PSD's platform is quite moderate it seems

It's quite similar to their 2019 platform. The main differences between PS and PSD seems to be taxes and the NHS, curiously the two most important issues for voters according to the RTP poll.

[Mike88]

Today's debates: PS vs CDS; IL vs CHEGA and PAN vs Livre.

- PS vs CDS: A debate very focused on ideology. The debate started with the NHS situation with Costa saying that is not by "skimming" the NHS that it will become stronger, highlighting the new Basic Healthcare Law that, according to him, has a good balance between public and private. Rodrigues dos Santos remembered Costa of the bad state of the NHS, of the more than 1 million people without a family doctor and the big waiting lines for surgeries and consults in the NHS. Costa didn't gave a timetable to solve the family doctors situation, while Rodrigues dos Santos defended that patients that cannot be treated in a public hospital should be treated in a private hospital. The discussion then went to Gender ideology, with CDS leader saying that gender ideology in classrooms is "totalitarism". Costa responded by saying that plurality values need to be respected and though at schools. The final topic was taxes, with Rodrigues dos Santos trashing the big tax burden of Costa's government, and Costa attacking by saying that CDS policies help more the families with means rather those that do not.

- IL vs CHEGA: Ventura was, here, completely defeated. Ventura started by accusing PSD, CDS and IL of forging an "arrangement" in order to put CHEGA on the side, and labeled IL as the "party of the privileged". Cotrim responded by trashing Ventura for not being trustworthy and of losing steam. Clearly upset, Ventura accused IL of not caring about Portugal and pointed to IL's policies on light drugs. Then, Cotrim Figueiredo demolished CHEGA's platform for just having 9 pages and that high school papers have more content than CHEGA's manifesto. Ventura tried to discuss issues like life imprisonment but Cotrim Figueiredo refused to discuss "fait divers". The debate ended with Ventura trashing Rio for being a puppet of Costa, while Cotrim Figueiredo said that Rio could be a good PM.

- PAN vs Livre: A debate with very little to highlight. Tavares, Livre leader, praised PAN's posture in the 2022 budget vote. Inês Sousa Real said that PAN is a responsible party that wants to create bridges and is willing to talk to either the PS or PSD after 30 January. Tavares pressed that only the left has solution for the environment, while Sousa Real said that left is in denial regarding the impact of cattle raising on climate change. Regarding a Universal basic income, Tavares pressed on the project, while Sousa Real didn't find it important and pressed on tax cuts for families and corporate tax cuts.

[Mike88]

Yesterday's debates: PAN vs BE; PSD vs IL and CDS vs Livre

- PAN vs BE: Both leaders clashed regarding a possible PAN support for a PSD government. During the debate, Catarina Martins tried to force PAN to reject any deals with the PSD, because, Martins said, the right doesn't have solutions regarding the environment, but Inês Sousa Real refused to drop that and pressed for tax cuts. In the rest, there were similar talking points: Minimum wage increase, environment policies. However, Martins criticized PAN's UBI policy as "delusional".

- PSD vs IL: It was more like a "conversation" rather than a debate on which points PSD and IL could negotiate a future government deal. Rio started the debate by saying that PSD and IL have in common the will to defeat socialism, but that there are differences between both parties. Cotrim Figueiredo said that IL and PSD are on the same page on the "prognostic" of the country but said that the PSD is too soft. On taxes, Rio criticized IL's flat tax rate proposal labeling it as unfair, while Cotrim Figueiredo tried to explain it. On privatizations, IL leader defended the privatization of RTP and Caixa Geral de Depósitos public bank, while Rio rejected as both give a public service and are, currently, giving profit, he said. On the NHS, Figueiredo pressed on IL's freedom of choice to pick any hospital, while Rio defended that the public option should have priority and only when the NHS doesn't respond should the state pay treatments in private hospitals. In the end, Rio said that the PSD could easily get along with IL, while Cotrim Figueiredo is also open to support a PSD government.

- CDS vs Livre: Rui Tavares and Rodrigues dos Santos clashed in a very ideological debate. Rodrigues dos Santos started by criticizing Livre's UBI policy, calling it "fiscal pornography". Tavres responded by joking that "fiscal pornography" seems to be a term Rodrigues dos Santos likes a lot. The CDS leader also labeled some Livre policies, like limiting bonuses in companies, as "pure communism", while Tavares criticized CDS's obsession with gender ideology, and also criticized CDS's support for bullfighting. Rodrigues dos Santos responded with the criticisms of former Livre's MP Joacine Katar Moreira regarding Portugal's colonial past, and accused Livre of canceling Portugal's history. Tavares responded by saying he's not canceling Portugal's past and that he's proud to have written about Portugal's history as a historian.

Also, Jerónimo de Sousa, CDU leader, will be substituted by João Oliveira, Lisbon councillor, or João Ferreira, PCP caucus leader, tomorrow in the debate between PCP and Rui Rio because he will undergo emergency surgery tomorrow. They will also substitute Mr Jerónimo while he's in hospital recovering:

https://twitter.com/observadorpt/status/1480852106659651585

Jerónimo de Sousa fails to debate with Rio and will undergo emergency surgery

Jerónimo de Sousa, secretary general of the PCP, will miss the debate with Rui Rio to undergo urgent surgery for a vascular problem. The communist leader still maintains the campaign agenda for this Tuesday, but will be replaced in the face-to-face with Rio by João Oliveira, parliamentary leader.

According to information provided by the party itself, Jerónimo de Sousa will undergo surgery on Wednesday to correct a carotid stenosis. The communist should return to the election campaign only on January 22, eight days before the legislative elections.
(...)

[Mike88]

PAN presents their election manifesto:

https://twitter.com/JornalNoticias/status/1480948392670871554

PAN wants animal rights in the Constitution and bets on the railroad

PAN leader, Inês Sousa Real, presented this afternoon, in Porto city, the party's manifesto for the 30 January elections. Sousa Real labeled the manifesto as "progressive", "ecofeminist" and "animalistic", adding that her goal is to create a more "empathetic and inclusive" society. The main policies are the following:

- Inclusion in the Constitution of an animal protection clause;
- Lower the voting age to 16 years old;
- Creation, or reconfiguration, of two ministries: Ministry of Economy and Climate Change and the Ministry of Environment, Biodiversity and Animal Protection;
- Creation of the kingfisher figure, to ensure protection of rivers;
- Program to "deseucalypt" the Portuguese forests;
- Stop licenses to explore lithium mines;
- Connect all district capitals by railway by 2030;
- More investment in the NHS and creation of a public net of veterinary hospitals;
- Abolish bullfighting;
- Increase spending on Education, up to 6% of GDP, and lower the number of students by class;
- Tax reform by reviewing the number of income tax brackets;
- Corporate tax reduction to 17%
- National minimum wage at 905 euros by 2026;

[Mike88]

Yesterday's debate: PS vs BE

https://twitter.com/Publico/status/1481035269117968384

Legislative Elections 2022: The debate between PS and BE had honey, gall and Costa in the time of Seguro

With a clear bad mood between both sides, the debate focused on topics of health, Social Security and jobs. Catarina Martins said to Costa that he will not have an absolute majority in the elections and attacked Costa for refusing to sign a new deal back in 2019, and Costa responded that there will be a majority, the issue is that we don't know which will be. Regarding the NHS, Martins said that the health system is "dying" and that it's worse now than in the beginning of the pandemic. Costa responded by saying that the NHS has more 28,000 workers than in 2015, and that the alternative is a rightwing majority that will reverse several NHS policies of the last few years. Martins then attacked by rejecting Costa's numbers and that doctors and nurses are fleeing from the NHS. Both also had differences regarding Social Security, with Martins accusing the PS of keeping some cuts in pensions, while Costa said that the government ensured another 22 years of sustainability to SS. The debate ended with Costa labeling BE as a "radical" party for wanting to nationalize several companies, CTT (mail), EDP (energy), ANA (airports) and GALP (petrol), saying that this would force Portugal to borrow 30 billion euros and would lead the country to bankruptcy and chaos.

[Mike88]

More polling: (after this weekend, at least one polling company will conduct a daily tracking poll)

Aximage poll for CM newspaper/CMTV:

Vote share %: (only raw numbers)

29.0% PS (-0.4)
24.1% PSD (+1.9)
  7.0% BE (+1.4)
  5.8% CHEGA (-1.6)
  4.9% CDU (+1.2)
  4.6% IL (-0.7)
  3.5% PAN (+0.6)
  0.9% CDS (-0.3)
  0.5% Livre (-0.5)
  1.9% Others/Invalid (-2.5)
17.8% Undecided (+0.7)

Poll conducted between 4 and 10 January 2022. Polled 615 voters. MoE of 4.00%.

Pitagórica poll for TVI/CNN Portugal:

Vote share %:

39.6% PS (+2.6)
30.0% PSD (-1.7)
  6.4% BE (+1.5)
  5.7% CHEGA (-0.6)
  5.1% CDU (-0.8 )
  5.1% IL (-0.8 )
  1.8% PAN (-1.2)
  1.5% CDS (+0.5)
  4.8% Others/Invalid (+0.5)

Poll conducted between 30 December 2021 and 9 January 2022. Polled 600 voters. MoE of 4.08%.

[VPH]

With those numbers, CDS could be reduced to no seats or 1-2 in a better scenario.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

With those numbers, CDS could be reduced to no seats or 1-2 in a better scenario.

I feel like for the CDS the only question is whether it manages to scrape by one seat in the Lisbon district (and with numbers like those Mike just posted, that seems unlikely). I wouldn't call it a sad loss anyway...

[JimJamUK]

PAN presents their election manifesto:

PAN leader, Inês Sousa Real, presented this afternoon, in Porto city, the party's manifesto for the 30 January elections. Sousa Real labeled the manifesto as "progressive", "ecofeminist" and "animalistic", adding that her goal is to create a more "empathetic and inclusive" society. The main policies are the following:

- Inclusion in the Constitution of an animal protection clause;
- Lower the voting age to 16 years old;
- Creation, or reconfiguration, of two ministries: Ministry of Economy and Climate Change and the Ministry of Environment, Biodiversity and Animal Protection;
- Creation of the kingfisher figure, to ensure protection of rivers;
- Program to "deseucalypt" the Portuguese forests;
- Stop licenses to explore lithium mines;
- Connect all district capitals by railway by 2030;
- More investment in the NHS and creation of a public net of veterinary hospitals;
- Abolish bullfighting;
- Increase spending on Education, up to 6% of GDP, and lower the number of students by class;
- Tax reform by reviewing the number of income tax brackets;
- Corporate tax reduction to 17%
- National minimum wage at 905 euros by 2026;

Can you explain more about PAN’s overall ideology? It generally seems like a normal left of centre animal rights/environmentalist party and supported the previous centre left government, but also backs some tax cuts similar to the centre right and hasn’t ruled out backing a government by the latter. This seems slightly unusual combination.

[Mike88]

With those numbers, CDS could be reduced to no seats or 1-2 in a better scenario.

I feel like for the CDS the only question is whether it manages to scrape by one seat in the Lisbon district (and with numbers like those Mike just posted, that seems unlikely). I wouldn't call it a sad loss anyway...

Indeed, Lisbon seems the only district where CDS could gain seats. With 1.5% in Lisbon district, lets suppose, the party can just scrape by and elect and MP, but it always complicated because the D'Hondt method favours the largest parties. But, if the share is more concentrated in areas where CDS is normally stronger, like Aveiro, Bragança or Braga, then they would probably not elect a single MP as these district have fewer MPs to elect.

But, of course, this is looking at polling. This election is very strange as we don't know yet how voting will actually work on election day, because of the votes of those infected/or isolated, plus regarding early voting, the government is ready to have more than 1 million voters casting an early ballot. We'll see.

Can you explain more about PAN’s overall ideology? It generally seems like a normal left of centre animal rights/environmentalist party and supported the previous centre left government, but also backs some tax cuts similar to the centre right and hasn’t ruled out backing a government by the latter. This seems slightly unusual combination.

First of all, welcome to the forum

You just summed up what PAN is. They seem like center-left, but their position is more like Syncretic, and actually they defend that the left-right divide is ancient history, and are willing to talk to either the PS or PSD, and their policies reflect that, but I'm of the opinion that they would work better with the PS rather than the PSD. But, the PS in this campaign isn't very keen in conceding stuff, and PAN is letting the door open to the PSD.

[JimJamUK]

First of all, welcome to the forum

You just summed up what PAN is. They seem like center-left, but their position is more like Syncretic, and actually they defend that the left-right divide is ancient history, and are willing to talk to either the PS or PSD, and their policies reflect that, but I'm of the opinion that they would work better with the PS rather than the PSD. But, the PS in this campaign isn't very keen in conceding stuff, and PAN is letting the door open to the PSD.

Thanks, long-time lurker but thought I'd finally start posting

Those are fair explanations, particularly about the PS making a conciliatory campaign difficult. It makes sense that they would want to avoid being pigeonholed as left wing in order to try to appeal to pro animal/environment voters who don't consider themselves as left wing (and there is already competition from more overtly eco-socialist parties on the left anyways), but it seems obvious they would get more of their agenda done with the left and the 'tax cuts combined with spending increases and more regulation' bit seems a tad populist/not well thought through.

[Mike88]

First of all, welcome to the forum

You just summed up what PAN is. They seem like center-left, but their position is more like Syncretic, and actually they defend that the left-right divide is ancient history, and are willing to talk to either the PS or PSD, and their policies reflect that, but I'm of the opinion that they would work better with the PS rather than the PSD. But, the PS in this campaign isn't very keen in conceding stuff, and PAN is letting the door open to the PSD.

Thanks, long-time lurker but thought I'd finally start posting

Those are fair explanations, particularly about the PS making a conciliatory campaign difficult. It makes sense that they would want to avoid being pigeonholed as left wing in order to try to appeal to pro animal/environment voters who don't consider themselves as left wing (and there is already competition from more overtly eco-socialist parties on the left anyways), but it seems obvious they would get more of their agenda done with the left and the 'tax cuts combined with spending increases and more regulation' bit seems a tad populist/not well thought through.

Exactly, many of PAN's target are urban voters who defend animal rights, but that are not that leftwing in terms of taxes, state intervention, etc. Some of their voters are the contrary, and that's why, like you said, they need to maintain "the door open" for both cases.

[Mike88]

Today's debates: CDS vs CHEGA, PSD vs CDU and IL vs Livre

- CDS vs CHEGA: Imagine a trainwreck, it was just like that. In a debate full of insults, with Ventura calling CDS "sissy" and that CDS doesn't represent the rightwing anymore. Rodrigues dos Santos responded by labeling Ventura as a "wind vane" that only makes noise and doesn't offer any solutions. Ventura then accused CDS of being just a "cane" for the PSD, while dos Santos trashed Ventura for his comments regarding the Pope and accusing him of not being a real Catholic. Ventura was quite upset and said that CDS is in tatters, and CDS leader just said that CHEGA was a bunch of fanatics, like a religious sect.

- PSD vs CDU: João Oliveira, PCP caucus leader, was the substitute, while Jerónimo de Sousa is in hospital, in a debate with little history. Oliveira refused any talk about the succession in the PCP and hoped for a speedy recovery for Jerónimo, something that Rio also hoped. Rio accused PCP of having the same policies since 1975, while Oliveira responded that the PSD policies are no alternative. The debate went ahead with Rio saying that the Communists policies would lead the country to ruin, while Oliveira refuted the claims. Both agreed, however, in attacking the PS in which Oliveira accused Costa of being the sole responsible for the crisis, something that Rio also pointed.

- IL vs Livre: A very ideological debate. Rui Tavares, Livre leader, defended a country "with shared prosperity", while Cotrim Figueiredo accused Livre, and the left, of using emergencies and alarms to trash market based economics. Tavares denied these claims, while Figueiredo said that only by economic growth can we fight climate change. The topic of taxes divided both men, with IL defending tax cuts in order to raise wages, while Tavares defended his policy of UBI.

[VPH]

The funniest moment in the Chega-CDS debate was when Francisco Rodrigues dos Santos
pulled out the Vox graphic that omitted Portugal and tried to attack Ventura's patriotism through it.

[Mike88]

The funniest moment in the Chega-CDS debate was when Francisco Rodrigues dos Santos
pulled out the Vox graphic that omitted Portugal and tried to attack Ventura's patriotism through it.

My favourite moment was when Rodrigues dos Santos called Ventura the "4th little shepherd of Fátima". I wasn't expecting that and I laughed so hard. xD

Also, today, the big debate between Costa and Rio will be held. It will be broadcast by the 3 main networks plus some radio stations. It could be a important debate in order to define who has the "momentum" until election day:

https://twitter.com/cnnportugal/status/1481061064494227458

DECISION 22 | Rui Rio and António Costa in a decisive face-to-face.

A debate not to be missed broadcast on TVI and CNN Portugal, this Thursday.