portugals socialists claim historic win in municipal vote
Tuesday 18 March 2025
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Portugal's Socialists claim 'historic' win in municipal vote

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchroniclePortugal's Socialists claim 'historic' win in municipal vote

Portugal's Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa
Lisbon - Muslimchronicle

Portugal's governing Socialists made major gains in Sunday's municipal elections, which party leaders hope will bolster their momentum on the national level as an economic recovery takes hold after years of austerity.

The Socialist Party (PS) won in 161 of the 308 town halls being contested, garnering 38 percent of the vote across the country, final results from the interior ministry showed -- beating its victorious run in the 2013 municipal contests.

"The Socialist Party had its biggest local election victory in history," Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa said Sunday.

"The result strengthens the PS and the change we began two years ago," he said. Costa came to power in 2015 after his party teamed up with the Communists and the left bloc.

Opposition leader and former conservative prime minister Pedro Passos Coelho acknowledged that his Social Democratic Party (PSD) had "one of the worst results in its history".

Alone or leading a coalition, the centre-right party won 6 town halls and nearly 30 percent of the vote, down from 2013 when it lost votes for its austerity policies.

Faced with a defeat described as "humiliating" by local media, Passos Coelho opened the door to resigning.

"I will consider the conditions under which I may or may not seek a new mandate to head the PSD," he said.

- 'Positive dynamic' -

The Communists also had a bad day, losing nine municipalities to the Socialists, including their stronghold of Almada in the southern suburbs of capital Lisbon.

Lisbon's incumbent Socialist mayor Fernando Medina was re-elected with 42 percent of the vote.

Former PSD leader Luis Marques Mendes said the party's losses were "a monumental debacle, which can be explained by the poor choice of candidates and a bad campaign".

Costa is "one of the great winners" of the elections, Mendes added, because "he has succeeded in creating a positive dynamic with his government's good results, particularly economic results".

Portugal's economic growth is at a 15-year high and its unemployment rate is at its lowest since 2009.

Costa has pledged to "turn the page" on austerity, scrapping some of the main austerity measures put in place between 2011 and 2014 that were part of a bailout deal with the EU and IMF.

But the stability of his government still depends on bitterly negotiated concessions with the Communists and the left bloc, which are highly critical of the Socialists' pro-Europe stance.

After their setback Sunday, Communist leaders may move to harden their stance in budget negotiations currently underway, relying more on their union heft.

source: AFP

themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

portugals socialists claim historic win in municipal vote portugals socialists claim historic win in municipal vote

 



Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

GMT 11:22 2016 Saturday ,30 July

Harry Potter play hits London stage

GMT 11:06 2017 Monday ,10 April

Five Things We Have Learned From The Masters

GMT 07:52 2017 Sunday ,17 December

EU, OIC hold high-level meeting

GMT 12:54 2016 Saturday ,10 December

Stones roll back the years with chart-topping album

GMT 09:56 2017 Friday ,27 January

Tackling migration from Libya "crucial"

GMT 08:59 2017 Monday ,13 November

HM King thanked by Singapore president

GMT 09:27 2014 Saturday ,19 July

The circle of chaos

GMT 09:37 2017 Monday ,30 January

Iran's Oscar-winning director to skip awards

GMT 11:14 2012 Friday ,09 March

India on diplomatic tightrope

GMT 13:09 2012 Wednesday ,14 March

Saudi to cover oil shortfall

GMT 14:48 2017 Tuesday ,25 July

10 Afghan media workers killed in half year

GMT 12:18 2016 Tuesday ,29 November

England's scrum is the problem

GMT 13:27 2018 Saturday ,06 January

Eleven injured as stadium barrier collapses

GMT 19:52 2017 Tuesday ,21 November

Mugabe resigns for ‘smooth transfer of power’

GMT 09:34 2018 Tuesday ,02 January

Iranian Revolutionary guards officers lead insurgency

GMT 07:46 2017 Thursday ,12 October

IMF chief urges more support for global trade
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
 
 Themuslimchronicle Facebook,themuslimchronicle facebook  Themuslimchronicle Twitter,themuslimchronicle twitter Themuslimchronicle Rss,themuslimchronicle rss  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle