Eurozone crosses Rubicon as Portugal's anti-euro Left banned from power

[saddampbuh]

Portugal has entered dangerous political waters. For the first time since the creation of Europe’s monetary union, a member state has taken the explicit step of forbidding eurosceptic parties from taking office on the grounds of national interest.

Anibal Cavaco Silva, Portugal’s constitutional president, has refused to appoint a Left-wing coalition government even though it secured an absolute majority in the Portuguese parliament and won a mandate to smash the austerity regime bequeathed by the EU-IMF Troika.
• Indebted Portugal is still the problem child of the eurozone

He deemed it too risky to let the Left Bloc or the Communists come close to power, insisting that conservatives should soldier on as a minority in order to satisfy Brussels and appease foreign financial markets.

Democracy must take second place to the higher imperative of euro rules and membership.

“In 40 years of democracy, no government in Portugal has ever depended on the support of anti-European forces, that is to say forces that campaigned to abrogate the Lisbon Treaty, the Fiscal Compact, the Growth and Stability Pact, as well as to dismantle monetary union and take Portugal out of the euro, in addition to wanting the dissolution of NATO,” said Mr Cavaco Silva.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11949701/AEP-Eurozone-crosses-Rubicon-as-Portugals-anti-euro-Left-banned-from-power.html

[DiamondCardz]

Are you a neo-nazi, then?

Though this shouldn't happen if they actually secured a majority, still, even though I disagree with their policies as they could quite easily worsen the debt of Portugal.

[bryant.coleman]

The European Union will be happy. They have a history of supporting dictators, as long as they toe to the pro-NATO line. Anibal Cavaco Silva is no different from Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddhafi. You can't ban someone who just won the elections by saying that his ideology is different from yours. If you do so, what makes you any different from Kim Jong Un?

[u9y42]

The European Union will be happy. They have a history of supporting dictators, as long as they toe to the pro-NATO line. Anibal Cavaco Silva is no different from Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddhafi. You can't ban someone who just won the elections by saying that his ideology is different from yours. If you do so, what makes you any different from Kim Jong Un?

Well, if nothing else, I'm sure there are at least a few less murders, and atrocities in general, attributed to Anibal Cavaco Silva - you know, when compared to Saddam Hussein, or Muammar Gaddhafi, or Kim Jong Un.

Now, while the stated motives for this move are quite troubling, (in my limited understanding of the process) I'm not sure he isn't entitled to make this choice (though it's certainly questionable whether it was the right choice); at the very least, it isn't as if the Left-Wing coalition won the election outright, and the president went out of his way to stop them, single-handedly (as you seem to be making it out to be). So, the context is important here: initially, the incumbent conservative party came out first in the election (with more votes than any other party), though not with enough seats in parliament to obtain a majority, even when forming a coalition with their allies. However, although technically the opposition parties had the majority of the seats among them, they were too divided, and refused to put their differences aside to form a government. This left the conservative party with a minority government, and the task to find allies among the opposition (mainly, the larger party, PS), in order to be able to get (unpopular) things done - negotiations fell apart, however, and the opposition eventually got their act together and formed a coalition.

In this context, and even though I agree that the opposition should have been given the chance to form a government, the president's decision is perhaps merely an attempt to maintain the status quo, by keeping the incumbent party in power - which they aren't expected to retain, as the opposition is set to call for a no confidence vote.

[bryant.coleman]

^^^^ Oh I get it. It is the same old lame excuses. When the United States and its vassal states such as the United Kingdom and Germany invades a country, it is to bring democracy and peace. When Russia or anyone else does the same, it is blatant aggression of a bully against the defenseless minnows. Anibal Cavaco Silva is a dictator, whether you like it or not. 

[axxo]

The same thing is happening in Britain but more subtly. You will notice how the whole establishment is trying to undermine anyone without a EU based conservative opinion. Let's hope that the Portuguese President knows how to work for a living because he may soon have to.

[Snail2]

So Portugal isn't a real democracy any longer. If a president can overrule the majority of the voters in favour of a different political agenda then it's more similar to a dictatorship. If the EU is supporting such moves then that would be a really good warning for everyone.

[DiamondCardz]

So Portugal isn't a real democracy any longer. If a president can overrule the majority of the voters in favour of a different political agenda then it's more similar to a dictatorship. If the EU is supporting such moves then that would be a really good warning for everyone.

Well the thing here is that Anibal Cavaco Silva was an elected president, and there will also be new elections for a president in 2016. It seems now though that they're going to try to get rid of the new government via a vote of no confidence, though I wonder if his constitutional powers will extend here as well and he will be able to prevent this.

[u9y42]

^^^^ Oh I get it. It is the same old lame excuses. When the United States and its vassal states such as the United Kingdom and Germany invades a country, it is to bring democracy and peace. When Russia or anyone else does the same, it is blatant aggression of a bully against the defenseless minnows. Anibal Cavaco Silva is a dictator, whether you like it or not. 

Come on, bryant.coleman... is he incompetent? Sure. Corrupt? Very likely. Borderline senile? Probably. But a dictator? And comparable to Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddhafi, and Kim Jong Un, no less?

Let me set this straight: it is the president's job (set in the country's constitution) to appoint who will be given the chance to form a government. This isn't an extraordinary measure he took; it's his job. Further, the party he appointed did win the election - it didn't win the majority in parliament but, as he goes on to state in his speech, that wouldn't really be the first time. So, it is now the parliament's job to either work with the minority government, or vote them out of office (which they are fully expected to do), and either the opposition will then take power, or a temporary (practically powerless) government will be set up until the time new elections can take place.

Now, don't get me wrong: I don't like the guy; I don't agree with his decision; and I think he is using his power to retain a political party in power (with whom he is affiliated) which is pursuing policies I disagree with, and believe to be harmful. But, please, stop with the hyperbole; there is enough to criticize already without the nonsense, which just distracts from the real issues.

[u9y42]

A small update, assuming anyone still remembers / cares about this story.

Predictably, the opposition (holding a majority in parliament) rejected the (minority) government's program, which led to the government being kicked out of power. Subsequently, and despite all his silly rhetoric, the President (that cruel dictator ) appointed António Costa (the leader of the "left-wing" opposition coalition) as the next Prime Minister.

[Spendulus]

^^^^ Oh I get it. It is the same old lame excuses. When the United States and its vassal states such as the United Kingdom and Germany invades a country, it is to bring democracy and peace. When Russia or anyone else does the same, it is blatant aggression of a bully against the defenseless minnows. Anibal Cavaco Silva is a dictator, whether you like it or not. 

Come on, bryant.coleman... is he incompetent? Sure. Corrupt? Very likely. Borderline senile? Probably. But a dictator? And comparable to Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddhafi, and Kim Jong Un, no less? ....

Seems like it is possible to use objective criteria, quantifiable measures, to assess "good or bad" as far as dictators are concerned.

Note there are "benevolent dictators."  Singapore, I would think.

[criptix]

^^^^ Oh I get it. It is the same old lame excuses. When the United States and its vassal states such as the United Kingdom and Germany invades a country, it is to bring democracy and peace. When Russia or anyone else does the same, it is blatant aggression of a bully against the defenseless minnows. Anibal Cavaco Silva is a dictator, whether you like it or not. 

Come on, bryant.coleman... is he incompetent? Sure. Corrupt? Very likely. Borderline senile? Probably. But a dictator? And comparable to Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddhafi, and Kim Jong Un, no less? ....

Seems like it is possible to use objective criteria, quantifiable measures, to assess "good or bad" as far as dictators are concerned.

Note there are "benevolent dictators."  Singapore, I would think.

It seems for me much more likely that people forgot half of the story so it suits their agenda
or have no clue except from articles from "der stürmer".
Like how trump said that all mexicans are rapist!
( and you people want to vote him )

[vero]

Portugal at the moment does not need communists and socialists to finish the destruction they already inflicted in the country with previous governments. Socialism has only programs of spending of what others created. I am Portuguese and definitely do not want these gang to run the country, it would be the end of an ailing economy brought to his knees by socialists..

[u9y42]

Seems like it is possible to use objective criteria, quantifiable measures, to assess "good or bad" as far as dictators are concerned.

Note there are "benevolent dictators."  Singapore, I would think.

Alright; and, in other circumstances, maybe that would be a valid case to make¹ - but it's kind of beside the point. The truth is, Portugal isn't a "guided democracy"², and Anibal Cavaco Silva wasn't a dictator: he was elected; performed his duties (I won't say well, but at least) within the bounds of his office; and, considering his term is ending, the next president was recently elected³ (Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa) and will take his place in a little over a month.

1 - although, it wasn't that long ago that Portugal got rid of its dictatorship (1974), so any such arguments are not likely to find a lot of sympathy with the natives.

2 - well, to the extent that most Western countries aren't, which is debatable, I admit, given the constraints of the European Union, and/or the overwhelming influences of countries like the United States and, to a lesser extent, Germany.

3 - in fact, I'm not sure if they have finished counting all the votes yet (although the outcome is clear): www.rtp.pt/noticias/eleicoes/presidenciais/2016.