Saudi medical aid convoys arrive in Gaza    Over 48 million postal parcels delivered in 4Q 2024    RCRC announces 8 road projects costing over SR8 billion in Riyadh    GCC residents, with tourist or transit visa, can perform Umrah    Sudden deviation tops the causes of traffic accidents in Riyadh    Lendo's $690 million deal with J.P. Morgan: A Game-Changer for Saudi SMEs Osama Alraee on driving SME Growth, Job Creation, and Financial Innovation in Saudi Arabia    Maintenance workers die in fire in Yanbu steam turbine unit    Saudi Minister to visit India for industrial and mining discussions    Saudi Crown Prince receives Syrian President in Riyadh    Israeli forces raid northern West Bank, impose curfew in Tammun and Al-Far'a camp    Canada, Mexico, and China vow retaliation as Trump imposes sweeping tariffs    Ukraine reports 14 killed in Russian missile strike on Poltava    Imavov knocks out Adesanya in second round as Riyadh Season hosts thrilling UFC night    Museum Authority to open second edition of 'Art of the Kingdom' exhibition in Riyadh    Al Ittihad stages dramatic comeback to defeat Al Kholood 4-3 in thriller    Al Hilal returns to winning ways with a dominant 4-0 victory over Al Okhdood    Al Nassr signs Colombian striker Jhon Durán from Aston Villa    Saudi composer Nasser Al-Saleh passes away at 63    Saudi drama icon Mohammed Al-Towayan passes away at 79    Singer and actress Marianne Faithfull dies at 78    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Portuguese leader in balancing act
By Axel Bugge
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 20 - 02 - 2010

Harassed by the opposition and under investor pressure to fix the economy, troubles are piling up for Portugal's minority Socialist government but bets against Prime Minister Jose Socrates may be premature.
Socrates' minority in parliament has left him in the uneasy position of relying on the Social Democrats to pass the 2010 budget just as the main opposition party relentlessly dogs him over allegations that he attempted to manipulate the media.
The balancing act forced on Socrates could not have come at a worse time as Portugal attempts to cut its budget deficit to prove it is not the next weak link in the euro zone after Greece. Bond investors are watching and civil servants plan a strike on March 4, fearing the austerity to come.
The government has promised spending cuts, which it will outline in a plan to be presented to Brussels by the end of the month, to bring the budget deficit to below 3 percent of gross domestic product by 2013 from 8.3 percent this year.
But, politically at least, time is on Socrates' side. The Social Democrats (PSD) can make as much political noise as they like, but right now they are unable to govern as they find a new leader after losing last year's election, analysts say.
“The PSD is cleaning up their act, they are in no condition to govern,” said political scientist Rui Oliveira Costa, who heads Eurosondagem pollsters.
“The opposition is taking advantage of it all to wear down the government, that is inevitable, it will continue. But a motion of no confidence is out of the question,” he said. “Socrates can deal with pressure well.”
Making the point, a number of leading Socialists have taunted the PSD to launch a motion of no confidence in recent days. No such motion has materialised but if all opposition parties united the government would lose such a vote and fall.
Parliament launched hearings this week into allegations that the government had tried to interfere in the media sector, including by using Portugal Telecom, where the state has an indirect stake, to buy into a television station. A state-appointed member of Portugal Telecom quit Wednesday.
Socrates, a marathon runner, denied the attacks Thursday, calling them politically-motivated lies and an attempt to undermine his rule. He has also called meetings of Socialist leaders this week to rally the troops in a show of unity.
Socrates knows that he has other advantages as well – for now opinion polls show his party in the lead with about 40 percent support against just under 30 percent for the PSD.
Marina Costa Lobo, a political analyst, said the economic trouble prompted by the Greek debt crisis could in itself help Socrates as the PSD may want to wait to see if the economy rebounds or not.
If there is no strong rebound after the worst recession in decades last year, the PSD may calculate that it is a better strategy to wait before forcing an election so that the Socialists are left dealing with the downturn and not them.
“It is difficult to make any political forecast because the economic situation could worsen,” Costa Lobo said, adding though that minority governments have no history of lasting in Portugal.
Also complicating the picture is the role of President Anibal Cavaco Silva, who is the one that has the power to dissolve parliament and call elections under the constitution.
But that power is limited to certain time frames after and before elections -- only in early April can he now exercise that power because Portugal held a general election in September. Cavaco Silva, a former PSD leader, has so far urged cooperation between government and the opposition.
By then the PSD should have a new leader and the 2010 budget should have been passed by parliament -- failure to pass it would almost certainly lead to a collapse of the government.
In the meantime, debt markets could come under pressure again -- especially if there is a renewed knock-on from concerns over another southern euro zone member, especially Greece. And the situation has begun to take a toll on Socrates.
“I think these are very serious problems (over press freedom) and I think they could bring the prime minister down,” said Jose Marinho, a painter working in central Lisbon.
Fernando Madrinha, a columnist in weekly Expresso, fears that a stalemate will emerge.a columnist in weekly Expresso, fears that a stalemate will emerge.
“What we are facing is a prime minister who is increasingly weak and an opposition that lacks the courage to bring him down,” he wrote.


Clic here to read the story from its source.