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This is such a fuss about nothing. The fact that Cavaco Silva mentioned the EU when announcing this has blown this out of all proportion. This has nothing to do

This is such a fuss about nothing. The fact that Cavaco Silva mentioned the EU when announcing this has blown this out of all proportion. This has nothing to do with the EU. It is a president allowing the incumbent prime minister and leader of the largest party (to which the president also belongs) to form a minority government. This is exactly what normally happens in Portugal in this situation. It has nothing to do with the EU, and nothing to do with a right wing stitch up. It was a decision made by the president, as he is supposed to do, with no input from the EU. But why let the facts get in the way when this can get both the left-wing anti-cuts brigade and the right-wing eurosceptics frothing at the mouth.

fimdomeio 11y ago
It is something. The dangerous message That the president passed is that in his view some partys can't be part of the government since they are not completetly pro Euro and don't agree with the austerity measures, the privatizations of a lot of public services. If you can change parties but you can't change the political agenda then you no longer have a democracy. Anyway we're not even talking about radical changes since the most left-wing parties would be the weakest part of the coalition. I for one think this possibility of ps cdu and be forming a coalition would be a possibility to form a more balanced government.
- galfarragem 11y ago
  "the most left-wing parties would be the weakest part of the coalition". Nope. Their votes would be as necessary to govern as the ones from the major party. Without them the coalition would break apart. It would be just a matter of time till they show their power.
- ascorbic 11y ago
  That would be a more compelling argument if it weren't for the fact that he's doing the normal thing of calling on the largest party to form the government. Yes, he gave a partisan speech, but that doesn't make his decision anything out of the ordinary.

fimdomeio 11y ago

It is something. The dangerous message That the president passed is that in his view some partys can't be part of the government since they are not completetly pro Euro and don't agree with the austerity measures, the privatizations of a lot of public services. If you can change parties but you can't change the political agenda then you no longer have a democracy. Anyway we're not even talking about radical changes since the most left-wing parties would be the weakest part of the coalition. I for one think this possibility of ps cdu and be forming a coalition would be a possibility to form a more balanced government.

galfarragem 11y ago
"the most left-wing parties would be the weakest part of the coalition". Nope. Their votes would be as necessary to govern as the ones from the major party. Without them the coalition would break apart. It would be just a matter of time till they show their power.
ascorbic 11y ago
That would be a more compelling argument if it weren't for the fact that he's doing the normal thing of calling on the largest party to form the government. Yes, he gave a partisan speech, but that doesn't make his decision anything out of the ordinary.