Political scientist Andre Freire (ISCTE) said this Monday that the results of the regional elections in Madeira are a reflection of the voter protest against socialist rule at the national level.
The results of the regional elections in Madeira “are the first reflection of the PS in the elections”, André Freire said, despite acknowledging the existence of “regional factors” such as the existence of a “lesser known candidate” on the PS side. .
The hypothesis of an alternative to the PS in 2019 “seems to have disappeared” because “it does not fulfill its obligations” to the country.
According to the political scientist, “wage devaluation is a hallmark of socialist governance” in the country, as reflected in these election results in which “the PS is the biggest loser” and the decline in votes for the PS is “the most noticeable change compared to the 2019 elections.”
“The right-wing coalition achieved a remarkable result because after 50 years the right-wing party continues to be the winner, even despite partners in governance,” said an ISCTE specialist, for whom the results were due to a “lack of alternation” 50 years ago.
However, he believes in a “parliamentary solution” after the head of the PSD/CDU-PP coalition list, Miguel Albuquerque, promised to present a government solution with a parliamentary majority, and the MHP and the Liberal Initiative opened the door to dialogue.
Political scientist Adelino Maltes from the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences of the University of Lisbon believes that “national readings are not counted” because “regional democracy has its own history” with a proportional parliamentary system.
“When the PS appoints a new leader, it is difficult to fight the propaganda pushed by those in power,” he added, leaving it to the PS to “experiment with leaders” or “try to create an alternative.”
According to the political scientist, the results are “normal for democracy” because “the will of the people wants a larger parliament, not an absolute majority on the right.”
“Democracy is enriched by pluralism,” he emphasized.
The situation, according to the specialist, is surmountable, since “it is possible to come to an agreement” with other candidates.
The coalition formed by the PSD and CDS-PP won regional legislative elections in Madeira on Sunday with 43.13% of the vote but failed to achieve an absolute majority, electing 23 of 47 deputies.
According to the official preliminary results of the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the PS elected 11 deputies, the AKP five and Chega four, while the CDU, BU, PAN and IL each elected one deputy.