Election in Portugal 45% of abstention, a disgrace

Yesterday Sunday Portugal's legislative elections were held to elect the new government for the next 4 years. Outgoing Prime Minister Antonio Costa was in line for a second term.

Unlike France, where we elect a president who then chooses his government. In Portugal, you vote to elect the President, who has a simple duty of representation, and then the people elect the government through the legislative process.

The results of yesterday's 8 p.m. polls are final, and we won't dwell on them: the incumbent party (PS) has been re-elected. We invite you to visit Eco who has written an excellent article on the subject.

Record abstention rate

What shocked us most about the Portuguese parliamentary elections was the abstention rate, which we had already noted during the European elections was in the region of 70 %. %.

Yesterday, the Portuguese had a simple civic duty: to elect a government that would meet the expectations and needs of their taxpayers and move the country forward. Unfortunately, it seems that the Portuguese did not understand the importance of going to the polls for this civic duty. The absentee rate, we remind you, is 45 %, or 5 million of the population who did not vote.

The reasons given for these elections in Portugal are all the crazier, some claiming that the elections take place during the week, others explaining that the weekend is devoted to family, restaurants and beach outings.

It's worth remembering that voting only takes 5 minutes out of a 24-hour day.

Portuguese sunflower

It's true that the country has emerged from the crisis, but this is above all due to the years of "belt-tightening" imposed by the right and the government of Passos Coelho . The PS and Antonio Costa simply benefited from the fallout.

It's worth remembering that over the past 4 years, Antonio Costa has made a number of blunders, the most notable of which was the purchase of part of the company's shares. TAP to the American-Brazilian investor who had been sold out by their previous government. And let's not forget a a public service that's falling apart, a worsening housing crisisSo yes, foreigners are investing in Portugal en masse, and the tourism sector is booming. But what happens if tourists leave Portugal for another country?

If there's one subject the government forgets to talk about, it's the industrial fabric. Yes, major French groups have set up technical centers in Portugal, and Mercedes and Volkswagen have opened factories. Unfortunately, that's not enough, just like the increase in the minimum wage, which bears no relation to the cost of living.

Fortunately, as long as the floodgates are open, the Portuguese is ready to close his eyes, until he is asked to make an effort.

A past that should encourage people to vote

Portugal and the Portuguese have a very painful history. We won't go back over the Salazar years, which left their mark on the country's history, and the after-effects are still visible. In fact, this painful past should encourage old and young alike to vote in Portugal's elections.

It is important for the Portuguese people to understand that their votes at a value and impactThey have the power to decide the future of their country, to make it grow, just as they have the power to give it a place in Europe.