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Socialists win landslide in Portugal
Last Updated Sun, 20 Feb 2005 21:53:57 EST
CBC News
LISBON - Portuguese voters have handed a landslide victory to the Socialist Party, giving it an overall majority in the legislature for the first time.
The centre-left Socialists won 120 of the 230 seats in Sunday's election, as the electorate punished the government for failing to end an economic slump that has seen the highest unemployment rate in seven years.
Socialist Party supporters celebrate in Portugal. The party won 120 of 230 seats.
The majority victory will let Socialist Leader Jose Socrates push through potentially controversial economic reforms.
"Portugal today has a new parliamentary majority and new hope," said Socrates, who takes office next month.
A former environment minister, he has said he wants to "change direction" through economic reforms, focusing on education and technological innovation.
He also wants to coordinate the country's foreign policy more closely with other European Union nations.
The Social Democratic Party, which has governed in a right-of-centre coalition since 2002, saw its worst showing in more than 25 years, capturing only 72 seats.
"A political cycle has ended here today," said Pedro Santana Lopes, the outgoing prime minister who was ousted after only seven months in office.
Nearly two-thirds of the country's 8.8 million registered voters – 65 per cent – turned out. President Jorge Sampaio, a Socialist Party member, dissolved parliament in December when it still had 18 months to run in its mandate, citing government instability and a failure to tackle Portugal's problems.
Conservative politicians had been in power for three years, but had not been able to deal with unemployment rates stalled at more than 7 per cent and slow economic growth.
The coalition, led by Lopes since July, has portrayed itself as a victim of partisanship on the part of the president. Lopes resigned in December.
Last Updated Sun, 20 Feb 2005 21:53:57 EST
CBC News
LISBON - Portuguese voters have handed a landslide victory to the Socialist Party, giving it an overall majority in the legislature for the first time.
The centre-left Socialists won 120 of the 230 seats in Sunday's election, as the electorate punished the government for failing to end an economic slump that has seen the highest unemployment rate in seven years.
Socialist Party supporters celebrate in Portugal. The party won 120 of 230 seats.
The majority victory will let Socialist Leader Jose Socrates push through potentially controversial economic reforms.
"Portugal today has a new parliamentary majority and new hope," said Socrates, who takes office next month.
A former environment minister, he has said he wants to "change direction" through economic reforms, focusing on education and technological innovation.
He also wants to coordinate the country's foreign policy more closely with other European Union nations.
The Social Democratic Party, which has governed in a right-of-centre coalition since 2002, saw its worst showing in more than 25 years, capturing only 72 seats.
"A political cycle has ended here today," said Pedro Santana Lopes, the outgoing prime minister who was ousted after only seven months in office.
Nearly two-thirds of the country's 8.8 million registered voters – 65 per cent – turned out. President Jorge Sampaio, a Socialist Party member, dissolved parliament in December when it still had 18 months to run in its mandate, citing government instability and a failure to tackle Portugal's problems.
Conservative politicians had been in power for three years, but had not been able to deal with unemployment rates stalled at more than 7 per cent and slow economic growth.
The coalition, led by Lopes since July, has portrayed itself as a victim of partisanship on the part of the president. Lopes resigned in December.
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