<nettime> Portugal news ...

[patrice <patrice@xs4all.nl>]

(bwo GoaNet/ Paulo Colaco) Oct 24, 2015

As always, the international media is exaggerating on a subject that 
they do not fully understand.

Whilst it is true that PCP and BE parties have been promoting an agenda 
of Anti-EU, Anti-Euro (ie, anti-austerity) and even Anti-NATO, it has 
been very clear from the start that PS does not advocate those same 
policies.

For Antonio Costa (PS) to agree to form a new coalition with PCP and BE, 
he already made very clear that some of the hard core policies from PCP 
and BE are non-negotiable. The leaders of the PCP and BE have agreed in 
principle that they will not force their anti-EU, anti-Euro and 
anti-NATO policies on a newly created left coalition PS/PCP/BE.

A document will be signed very shortly between the leaders of PS, PCP 
and BE to form a new left coalition party which will obtain majority of 
votes in parliament.

Last Friday, the newly appointed government of PSD/CDS coalition 
suffered their first defeat when their candidate for speaker of the 
House of Parliament lost. So, Portugal now has a Speaker who is from the 
PS party (second party).

The government PSD/CDS will now present their programme for the next 4 
years and it is expected that the majority of MPs will reject that 
programme. This, in essence, will mean that the Government will fall 
(vote of no confidence) and the President of the Republic will be 
consulted again and this time he will be forced to appoint the leader of 
the second party (PS).

So, by mid-November, I expect to see Antonio Costa (from PS) appointed 
as the new Prime Minister of Portugal, supported by majority of votes in 
parliament (PS/PCP/BE coalition).

Portugal needs democratic stability and it is clear that majority of 
votes in Parliament can only be obtained with a new coalition PS/PCP/BE. 
As long as the new left coalition agrees to respect the agreements with 
Europe and NATO (which they have indicated so far), I do not see that as 
bad.

Regards
Paulo Colaco Dias

A rejoinder (which seems to go against the grain of the previous 
telegraph article):
(25 Oct 2015)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11946412/Defiant-Portugal-shatters-the-eurozones-political-complacency.html


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