Portugal government re-elected despite painful austerity

Portugal’s center-right coalition government earned another four-year term Sunday, winning a general election behind an improving economy that weathered the austerity measures contested across Europe. The victory was bittersweet, however, as projections indicated the government was likely to fall short of an outright majority in Parliament.

We have had very tough times in past four years, with a lot of sacrifices. I am confident in the work I have done.

Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho

That means the government would be outnumbered in the 230-seat chamber by left-of-center lawmakers who could block its policy proposals, making some nervous that political instability could ensue and resurface economic problems that have plagued the country before.  In 2011, Portugal needed a 78 billion-euro ($87 billion) bailout amid the eurozone’s debt crisis. The government complied with a German-led austerity plan, which worked for the most part, allowing incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho to argue that austerity is paying off. Portugal has a traditional preference for moderate parties, and voters apparently feared knocking the long-awaited economic recovery off-track.

I lost my trust in the Socialist Party when they left us nearly bankrupt.

Teresa Godinho, a middle-aged psychologist voting at a polling station in Lisbon’s suburbs, said she didn’t entirely agree with the government, but voted for it because there were no other viable options

Politics Portugal election