Portuguese go to polls in snap election amid COVID, uncertainty
Al JazeeraNov 25, 2021
Portugal to Hold Snap Elections in March
Image copyright: Horacio Villalobos/Corbis News [via Getty Images]
The Facts
Portugal's Pres. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has called a snap election for March 10, following the resignation of Socialist Prime Minister António Costa earlier this week over alleged government corruption, with parliament dissolution pending a vote on the 2024 budget.
This date comes as Rebelo de Sousa met with main political parties on Wednesday and the consultative Council of State on Thursday. The budget bill, which includes tax cuts for the middle class and increased public expenditure, must be finally approved by Nov. 29.
The Spin
Left narrative
As Portugal prepares for an early vote in March, the left wing must learn from what went wrong under Costa's leadership. It's time to get rid of the failed neoliberal governance model that prioritizes corporate interests and undermines the government, as this very policy has engendered the current political crisis.
Right narrative
It's no wonder that the Socialist Party had sought to prevent a snap election, as even globalist Europhiles reckon that the election campaign is likely to benefit the right wing. This will be the greatest change for Portuguese conservatives to break the socialist and liberal hegemony that has ruled the country since the restoration of democracy in the 1970s.