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Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho’s centre-right PSD party suffered a humiliating defeat in the September 29 local elections, with the leader himself describing the result as a “national defeat” and the “worst outcome” for the party, writes Público.
According to provisional results, the main opposition Socialist Party party took 36 per cent of the vote, winning 134 municipalities, while the PSD and its coalitions took only 31 per cent and 96 municipalities. Independents won 11 municipalities, including Portugal’s second largest city Porto. The largest PSD defeat occurred on the island of Madeira, once a bastion of PSD support, where the party lost seven of its 11 municipalities.
In its editorial, Público concludes –
This morning, the government coalition will wake up weakened and divided. The electoral defeat robs them of strength to continue to impose austerity policies and cuts their room to negotiate with the troika.
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