Portugal's socialist prime minister, Jose Socrates, is expected to win a second term in office in Sunday's elections. He's unlikely, however, to retain his absolute majority. Portugal's ruling Socialists are expected to win the vote on Sunday, Sept. 27, but Prime Minister Jose Socrates faces the prospect of losing the absolute majority that has allowed him to impose ambitious reforms. The most recent poll showed the center-left Socialists winning 38 percent of the vote with the main challengers, the Social Democrat Party led by Manuela Ferreira Leite, winning 30 percent. The possibility that Portugal could be governed by a weak minority government has raised concerns that the country could lack the strong leadership it requires to tackle the effects of the economic crisis.
Portugal's ruling Socialists are expected to win the vote on Sunday, Sept. 27, but Prime Minister Jose Socrates faces the prospect of losing the absolute majority that has allowed him to impose ambitious reforms.
The most recent poll showed the center-left Socialists winning 38 percent of the vote with the main challengers, the Social Democrat Party led by Manuela Ferreira Leite, winning 30 percent.
The possibility that Portugal could be governed by a weak minority government has raised concerns that the country could lack the strong leadership it requires to tackle the effects of the economic crisis.
Portugal's ruling Socialist Party won the country's general election on Sunday, although it lost its absolute majority, exit polls suggest. The Socialists garnered an estimated 36.5 percent of the vote, according to polls reported by SIC television channel, giving the party 96 seats, down from the 121 MPs the centre-left won in 2005. Prime Minister Socrates has lost his absolute majority The main opposition party, the Social Democrats (PSD), which is a force of the centre-right despite its name and the party of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, came in second with 29 percent, giving them a probable 78 seats in the 230-seat parliament. "The people have spoken and they have spoken loudly. The Socialists were once again chosen to govern Portugal and they were chosen without any ambiguity," Prime Minister Jose Socrates said on Sunday night.
Portugal's ruling Socialist Party won the country's general election on Sunday, although it lost its absolute majority, exit polls suggest.
The Socialists garnered an estimated 36.5 percent of the vote, according to polls reported by SIC television channel, giving the party 96 seats, down from the 121 MPs the centre-left won in 2005.
Prime Minister Socrates has lost his absolute majority
The main opposition party, the Social Democrats (PSD), which is a force of the centre-right despite its name and the party of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, came in second with 29 percent, giving them a probable 78 seats in the 230-seat parliament.
"The people have spoken and they have spoken loudly. The Socialists were once again chosen to govern Portugal and they were chosen without any ambiguity," Prime Minister Jose Socrates said on Sunday night.
Portugal's ruling Socialists held onto power in Sunday's election there but Prime Minister Jose Socrates lost his overall parliamentary majority. It means that once celebrations are over, he will face the delicate task of either ruling alone in a minority government or trying to form a coalition. Putting difficult decisions to one side for now, the premier was full of fighting talk in his victory speech. "We have overcome many difficulties in the past and we will overcome them in the present," he told jubilant supporters in Lisbon. "Portugal has the means to confront all its problems in the future."
Portugal's ruling Socialists held onto power in Sunday's election there but Prime Minister Jose Socrates lost his overall parliamentary majority.
It means that once celebrations are over, he will face the delicate task of either ruling alone in a minority government or trying to form a coalition.
Putting difficult decisions to one side for now, the premier was full of fighting talk in his victory speech.
"We have overcome many difficulties in the past and we will overcome them in the present," he told jubilant supporters in Lisbon. "Portugal has the means to confront all its problems in the future."
Relations between the two Iberian neighbours were one of the main subjects Portugal's recent elections won by outgoing socialist prime minister José Sócrates. Seen from Barcelona, the result is proof of a desire for greater integration in the peninsula, writes analyst Enric Juliana. Pan-Iberism has won the Portuguese elections. Not the Iberian federalism envisioned by such diverse personalities as Fernando Pessoa and Agustí Calvet Gaziel, Henriques Moreira and Francesc Pi i Margall, Oliveira Martins and Francesc Macià, but modern economic Iberism, the close intertwining of Spanish and Portuguese interests since they joined the European Economic Community simultaneously in 1986. The business sector has put its money on José Sócrates ensuring the irreversible economic integration of the peninsula. And those Portuguese tired of the Socialist leader's school of Zapatero style of spin were unable to put forward a persuasive centre-left alternative via their own champion Manuela Ferreira Leite, operated by remote-control by the Portuguese president, Aníbal Cavaco Silva.
Relations between the two Iberian neighbours were one of the main subjects Portugal's recent elections won by outgoing socialist prime minister José Sócrates. Seen from Barcelona, the result is proof of a desire for greater integration in the peninsula, writes analyst Enric Juliana.
Pan-Iberism has won the Portuguese elections. Not the Iberian federalism envisioned by such diverse personalities as Fernando Pessoa and Agustí Calvet Gaziel, Henriques Moreira and Francesc Pi i Margall, Oliveira Martins and Francesc Macià, but modern economic Iberism, the close intertwining of Spanish and Portuguese interests since they joined the European Economic Community simultaneously in 1986.
The business sector has put its money on José Sócrates ensuring the irreversible economic integration of the peninsula. And those Portuguese tired of the Socialist leader's school of Zapatero style of spin were unable to put forward a persuasive centre-left alternative via their own champion Manuela Ferreira Leite, operated by remote-control by the Portuguese president, Aníbal Cavaco Silva.
