© Sipa
The Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, should see his formation, the Socialist Party, easily win the early legislative elections next Sunday, in order to begin a third term.
Few leaders on the European continent can boast of such an uncontested record. After four years of economic growth and two years of health crisis whose management is not in question, the Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, approaches the legislative election of January 30 serenely. The polls give his formation largely in the lead, the Socialist Party prancing at 38% of the voting intentions, against 30% for the center right, 7% for the far right and 6% for the radical left.
António Costa has already announced that he wants to govern alone whatever happens
Enough to ensure a comfortable re-election for this 60-year-old lawyer, son of a communist writer of Indian origin who has methodically climbed all the rungs. From Socialist Youth to European deputies, from Minister of the Interior and then Mayor of Lisbon to rising to the head of government in 2015.
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The only unknown lies in his ability to win an absolute majority – ie to win eight additional constituencies – or to have to seal alliances, synonymous with governmental fragility. Its previous union with the radical left was thus shattered when the latter rejected the draft budget for 2022 last October, leading to these early elections. António Costa has already announced that he wants to govern alone whatever happens, negotiating each law on a case-by-case basis or with the support of a small animalist party.