"It is useless to win or lose elections," if you keep the mood of unease, President Aníbal Cavaco Silva said during his speech to mark the official celebrations for the April 25 revolution.
On the 39th anniversary of the revolution, the president said that "ongoing conflict and the absence of consensus will penalise political players themselves." He also acknowledged that the troika’s (EU-IMF-ECB) bailout programme "has led to serious consequences" for the Portuguese but meant "positive results" for the banking system and the country’s balance of payments.
Several thousand people took to the streets shouting slogans such as "IMF, get out of here" and railing against the president's speech, while opposition political parties accused the president of “patronising” the government.
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