Portugal - current events

[fourmummy]

Anyone found any mainstream reporting of Portugal's eusrosceptic gov denied power? Anyone? Anywhere? Why so quiet?

To clarify, DH and I are looking incredulously at Twitter images of protests. Complete blackout on news reporting here, though.

There were a piece in the Telegraph I think, other than that the media/media controllers have deemed it unworthy of our attention I wonder why

What's happened OP, I haven't been aware of an election.

Euro sceptic government voted in but not allowed to take office?

What's happened?

Poland have an election today where it looks like the Eurosceptics will topple the existing government but haven't heard anything about Portugal.

"Eurozone crosses Rubicon as Portugal's anti-euro Left banned from power

Constitutional crisis looms after anti-austerity Left is denied parliamentary prerogative to form a majority government

Portugal has entered dangerous political waters. For the first time since the creation of Europe’s monetary union, a member state has taken the explicit step of forbidding eurosceptic parties from taking office on the grounds of national interest.

Anibal Cavaco Silva, Portugal’s constitutional president, has refused to appoint a Left-wing coalition government even though it secured an absolute majority in the Portuguese parliament and won a mandate to smash the austerity regime bequeathed by the EU-IMF Troika.

He deemed it too risky to let the Left Bloc or the Communists come close to power, insisting that conservatives should soldier on as a minority in order to satisfy Brussels and appease foreign financial markets."

www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11949701/AEP-Eurozone-crosses-Rubicon-as-Portugals-anti-euro-Left-banned-from-power.html

Looks like the EU Establishment are doing a King Canute to try and stem the anti-austerity and sometimes anti EU tide.

Spanish elections coming up in November. It was thoise elections that the EU had to send a message to by being tough on Greece. Interesting to see what the Spanish do.

Also Poland today.

'To clarify, DH and I are looking incredulously at Twitter images of protests. Complete blackout on news reporting here, though.'

Can't find anything at all about any protests. Could well imagine that the elite would want to keep that quiet.

Precisely. Another piece of eurosceptic news to be buried. DH and I were saying how Twitter will surely be banned soon (or, 'modified'). There’s also a short piece by Rod Liddle (blogs.new.spectator.co.uk/2015/10/are-european-socialists-waking-up-to-the-fact-theyve-created-a-monster/) but that’s about it. Shocking.

It is all coming to an end. It seems like the likely Eurosceptic winner of the Polish election are going to try and tell Germany what to do. The German people have had enough of paying for everyone in Europe and accepting the majority of refugees and migrants and being sold out to a European elite by their political class. If the Poles start telling them what to do, then Germany will have enough and that will be the beginning of the end of the EU and the elites who have tried to keep it going.

'Election puts Poland's ties with EU, Germany at risk'

uk.reuters.com/article/2015/10/22/uk-poland-election-eu-idUKKCN0SG0ES20151022

Maybe it'll all disintegrate before we have our referendum.

I agree with that. The pieces are starting to fall into place for an awful lot of people. Interestingly, Blair's 'apology' illustrates the disconnect and apparent lack of awareness (although I’m doubtful about that. I think that this is all planned) between political elites' judgement, the mood of the nation, and how much it lags. Everyone knew in 2003 that Iraq was a bad idea, and why. Pretty much everyone has cottoned on to the fact that politicians have their sights set on doing a Blair (yes, looking at you Merkel, Cameron, Juncker, endless list). Everyone's had enough and the elites are running scared. Bang go their millions on the global lecture circuit/Saudi consultancies/Goldman Sachs board of directors positions...they still won't allow Brexit, though.

I suspect that the Portugeezer President wanted the Centre Right Coalition under Mr Coelho to remain in place as Portugal after 3-years in recession trying to get out of their debt problems, saw their economy recovery begin last year and is accelerating this year - and STILL with the 2nd highest debt-to-gdp ration in the EU - he didn't want to risk that recovery that still has 12% unemployment.

Furthermore while the socialist-communist coalition won more seats, more people voted for the previous government.

A recent election in the Catalunya region of Spain voted in a Catalan Independence Party the leader of which is threatening the Madrid Government with UDI.

For clarity, the President of Portugal is the head of the executive and can choose to appoint whoever s/he wants as Prime Minister. S/he is elected and serves a 5-year term. S/he has the power to veto legislation passed by the Portuguese parliament but parliament can override the veto.

The current president is from the PàF. The PàF is the largest party in the Portuguese parliament following the recent election. The president has invited the leader of the PàF to form a government. Given that he is the leader of the largest party this is not unreasonable, even though his chances of success are low. The left wing parties have said they will put forward a motion that will bring down this government.

Contrary to the reporting in the Telegraph this is not some kind of constitutional outrage.

Yes, the presidents party has the largest number voted in, but they have to form a.coalition to rule (a centre right coalition). The centre right coalition won fewer seat than the left coalition (107 and 122). The president has asked the smaller coalition to form the government.

I'm not sure how this works though? Won't the left coalition vote down everything the other coalition tries to put through?

People are.protesting in the streets, and a policeman had been suspended.for shooting an unarmed protester...

It is expected that the left wing parties will put through a motion that brings down the government. When that happens the president will either have to appoint their candidate as PM or dissolve parliament and call another election. Given that the election was only a few weeks ago I don't think dissolving parliament is really an option.

The president's remarks about satisfying Brussels and appeasing financial markets were foolish. But giving the existing Prime Minister first crack at forming a government when no-one has an overall majority is not particularly unusual. It happened here in 2010.

Why are people protesting, then?

I can't find any reports of these protests nor can I find any reports of a policeman being suspended for shooting an unarmed protester. That makes it difficult to comment. However, protests against austerity have been going on for months. And protests against actions by the President don't necessarily mean he is doing anything wrong or unusual, just that there are some who are unhappy with what is happening.

You're right in that the veracity of these reports needs to be confirmed. It's becoming increasingly difficult to make a judgement given the constant spin/omissions by the usual media outlets. Nevertheless, interesting (scary) times ahead.

"Concerns in the Eurozone after Portuguese government is ousted by Left-wing alliance promising spending spree and tax cuts -despite 78billion bailout from Europe"

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3312773/Concerns-Eurozone-Portuguese-government-ousted-Left-wing-alliance-promising-spending-spree-tax-cuts-despite-78billion-bailout-Europe.html