Portugal- Europe’s best kept secret

During the fascist dictatorship, which ended with the bloodless revolution of 1974, the tourism slogan of the time was “Portugal-Europe’s best kept secret”. 30 years after, facing its most critical political instable conflict in the post-revolution period, the “culture of silence” hides 10 years of governmental mismanagement.
In Portugal the announcement of the dissolution of the parliament by the President Jorge Sampaio earlier this week, was accepted with little surprise. The current government of Santana Lopes, although not completely blameless, cannot be totally responsible for the current situation.
The annual Social watch report described Portugal as a country “where impunity reigns” and where unemployment and corruption rises at a frightening pace.
On the 1st of October of 1995 the socialist party (ps) regain power after a decade of outstanding economic recovery driven by the policies of the social democratic party (psd), conducted then by Anibal Cavaco e Silva. Social tensions led to the rise of the Antonio Guterres (ps) era, an age of general optimism in the tiny southern European state.
Guterres was re-elected in 1999 only to quit 3 years later faced with an unmanageable economic deficit. Earlier general elections brought the Social democrats back to power, this time headed by Manuel Barroso and a coalition with the neo conservative Popular Party (PP) of Paulo Portas. Inniciating a series of dramatic measures, which brought a sense of social unrest to the Portuguese nation, Barroso gained a respectable reputation among European leaders. Last summer, after an invitation by the European commission, Barroso announced his departure from his position as prime minister in order to assume the presidency of the European commission. Then in came Santana lopes, the controversial mayor of Lisbon, attacked in the past for his excessive media exposure.
The last 2 years saw the rising of an unprecedented series of corruption cases that shock the Portuguese establishment. First many influential figures in Portuguese society, such as the media “giant” Carlos Cruz and the socialist MP Paulo Pedroso, were involved in the most controversial pedophilia scandal ever, exposing a network of sexual abuse in the public orphanage institution of “Casa Pia”. Then in May 2003 a member of a northern council, Fatima Felgueiras, escaped to Brasil on the day the Public Ministry issued an arrest warrant accusing her of over 20 crimes of corruption, bad administration, abuse of power, fiscal crimes among many others. Finally the pressure made by Santana Lopes government over an independent TV station (TVI) to sack an eminent political figure, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa who had been the secretary general of the social democratic party in the late 90´s, due to his constant and ferocious critiques of the minister of defense Paulo Portas (leader of the PP), was denounced by the national press as state censorship.
The demission of Henrique chaves only 4 days after taking over the ministry of Sports and Youth, on the grounds that the PM was not loyal to his government, was the final drop.
With 3 governments on a row failing to finish their legislature Portugal dives into an era of serious economic struggle and social tension.
What will happen now?
Duarte Lima, member of the social democrats national council said, “between calling for elections now or in June it is preferable to be now.” He went on to say, “Santana Lopes has the legitimacy of being our candidate. This government should not be blamed for the current political instability.” Many key figures in PSD, such as the ex-PM Cavaco Silva, have come out to say the contrary.
There is also the issue of the continuity of the right wing coalition between PSD and PP, which in its absence, a right wing majority in parliament looks impossible. The secretary of Parliamentary Issues Montalvao Machado said, “a quick and loyal reflection about the coalition towards PP must be done”, while the MP Tavares Moreira, of the executive budget commission, said, ”It would be healthier for both parties to run separately”.
Portuguese left is also walking in a tight rope. Both the communist and the socialist party had troubled internal elections in the last few months, and a coalition appears to be difficult. Without it there is little hope of success. The socialist leader Jose Socrates is perceived as an uncharismatic figure, and the communist party has been declining rapidly due to internal accusations of Stalinist management by the central committee. The recently founded Left Block led by Francisco Louça is generally seen as a week alternative.
General elections are expected to take place next February and Portuguese people have the right to feel confused, left out by their political elite and failed by the current democratic system. There is no defined political alternative and the crisis is far from being solved.
Portuguese are struggling to find a voice and the silence of both the national, and most reprehensively, the international media is deafening.
30 years after, everything in Portugal is still pretty much a secret.