Portuguese Social Democrats set to topple Socialist government
PORTUGAL’S centre-right Social Democrats (PSD) appeared on course to secure victory in the country’s general election yesterday, exit polls showed.
Led by Pedro Passos Coelho, the party is expected to defeat Prime Minister Jose Socrates’ Socialists after they sought a €78bn (£69bn) bailout that will usher in an era of austerity for the country.
Exit polls by three television stations gave the Social Democrats between 37 and 42.5 per cent of the vote, far ahead of the Socialists who scored between 24.4 per cent and 30 per cent.
“These are clear results which the Socialist Party wants to recognise. All the results point to a win for the PSD and a defeat for the Socialists,” incumbent economy minister Jose Vieira da Silva said shortly after the exit polls were published.
The election ends a period of political uncertainty that started with the collapse of the Socialist government in March and led Lisbon to become the third country in the Eurozone to seek a bailout after Greece and Ireland.