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**FEBRUARY 4, 2022**
Kuttner on TAP
Viva Portugal!
The Portuguese Socialist Party wins an absolute governing majority.
Let us take a moment to salute our Portuguese brothers and sisters. As
of last Sunday's election, Portugal is the only country in Europe
where a governing socialist party has earned an absolute majority in the
national parliament.
Portugal's popular prime minister, Antonio Costa, a former mayor of
Lisbon, did it the old-fashioned way, by being a credible leader and
delivering benefits that serve regular people.
Portugal has successfully pushed back on the preferred austerity
policies of the EU, running an expansive, high-employment economy,
coupled with improved educational and social outlays, as well as a
prudent public budget. The voters reciprocated.
Costa's Socialist Party, until last week, governed in a left coalition
that included the Communists, independent leftists, and the Greens. The
bloc often bickered. It was known as the geringonça, the Portuguese
word for contraption.
Costa's most recent budget provided higher minimum wages and pension
payments. His communist allies blocked the budget, calling for even
more.
Costa took a big gamble and called a snap election, asking voters to
give his party a clear majority. Until last week, it looked as if the
move had backfired and a center-right coalition could get elected.
But when the votes were counted, the Socialists' share had grown from
32 percent when the left coalition first came to power in 2015, to 37
percent in 2019, to 42 percent last Sunday, which translated into an
absolute majority of seats.
Moral of the story: Strong progressive leaders with clear programs that
serve regular working people can win and win again.
****
~ ROBERT KUTTNER
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**Robert Kuttner's latest book is**
The Stakes: 2020 and the Survival of American Democracy
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