Portugal's André Ventura

[Alex]

After Geert Wilder's success in Holland, Portugal may be next on the list of countries seeing the light.

"This year, Portugal is set to join the list of countries taking a lurch to the right.

Chega is a conservative nationalist party founded in 2019. They oppose globalism, multiculturalism, and socialism. They are already the 3rd largest party.

2 months ago, the ruling socialist regime imploded and the PM Costa resigned in disgrace.

A general election will be held in March and Chega leader André Ventura is on track win and possibly become the next PM. "




Not that it's important, but he looks a bit of a hunk   

[JBR]

After Geert Wilder's success in Holland, Portugal may be next on the list of countries seeing the light.

"This year, Portugal is set to join the list of countries taking a lurch to the right.

Chega is a conservative nationalist party founded in 2019. They oppose globalism, multiculturalism, and socialism. They are already the 3rd largest party.

2 months ago, the ruling socialist regime imploded and the PM Costa resigned in disgrace.

A general election will be held in March and Chega leader André Ventura is on track win and possibly become the next PM. "
   

Good news.  Why?
Well, throughout European wars, Portugal has usually (perhaps always) been on our side.

If the EU does break up, I'd personally welcome Portugal as a trading ally and, in fact, as many other ex-EU countries as well, if they want to.

Er, perhaps not the French though!

[klondike]

Not that it's important, but he looks a bit of a hunk   

On the contrary I think what a politician actually looks like is worth quite a few points in the polls. Few are likely to vote for somebody who looks like a dork.

I read a story today or yesterday about Europe apparently waking up to the woke globalists who favour open borders. I'll see if I can dig out the link.

Here - https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/01/01/vox-populi-vox-dei-populist-parties-surged-across-europe-in-2023-as-public-rejects-open-borders-globalism/

[Alex]

What on earth happened in Poland though ?
On the link you posted it said Tusk came into power even though he got a million votes fewer than the sitting party.   And the first thing he did was to shut down the state run telly and radio channels.  That doesn't sound very democratic, though I know very little about Poland, isn't that the sort of things the Russians did ?

[JBR]

What on earth happened in Poland though ?
On the link you posted it said Tusk came into power even though he got a million votes fewer than the sitting party.  And the first thing he did was to shut down the state run telly and radio channels.  That doesn't sound very democratic, though I know very little about Poland, isn't that the sort of things the Russians did ?

Yes.  Perhaps he's hedging his bets just in case Poland is next on Putin's list!

[Diasi]

On the contrary I think what a politician actually looks like is worth quite a few points in the polls. Few are likely to vote for somebody who looks like a dork.

The problem being that the dork may have the best ideas & principles, while the looker is more likely to be the unprincipled narcissist.

[klondike]

Maybe but they will still lose votes. One thing has become clear to me over the years - vast swathes of the population either are or act as though they are several sandwiches short of a picnic.

We have a government that has somehow managed to produce public services that simply do not work and cost taxpayers more than almost any other taxpayer currently alive. We have an opposition that in all likelihood would (will) perform worse when in government. When the election is done one or other of those groups of losers will form the next government. There is even a chance that the despicable LibDems who stood last time to ignore the result of the Brexit referendum may hold the balance of power.

What we  have is a total shit show and until the electoral system is changed the actors may change but the shit show will continue.

[JBR]

Maybe but they will still lose votes. One thing has become clear to me over the years - vast swathes of the population either are or act as though they are several sandwiches short of a picnic.

We have a government that has somehow managed to produce public services that simply do not work and cost taxpayers more than almost any other taxpayer currently alive. We have an opposition that in all likelihood would (will) perform worse when in government. When the election is done one or other of those groups of losers will form the next government. There is even a chance that the despicable LibDems who stood last time to ignore the result of the Brexit referendum may hold the balance of power.

What we  have is a total shit show and until the electoral system is changed the actors may change but the shit show will continue.

Yes indeed.
To be honest and practical, we should accept that the present 'Conservative' government is actually as much Liberal, in fact possibly majority Liberals who have somehow managed to sneak in through standing in local elections masquerading as Conservatives!

That would convincingly explain why the present government is so very inept and have produced little or no progress over the past thirteen years, Cameron and May being prime examples of Liberals!

A worry is, who is standing in my constituency?  More importantly, which political party do they really represent?

[klondike]

My  current MP is Andrew Lewer who is a supporter of Brexit. He may have had very good intentions but his party have delivered a very watered down Brexit as well as trashing public services and the economy. The only growth area is taxation. So far as I can see he may as well have supported a British moon landing for all his opinions have achieved.

This seat has had a Labour MP in the not too distant past and is considered to be a marginal. That means post the next election he has as much chance of being my MP as I do of being his and I'm not even standing.

[Cassandra]

What on earth happened in Poland though ?
On the link you posted it said Tusk came into power even though he got a million votes fewer than the sitting party.   And the first thing he did was to shut down the state run telly and radio channels.  That doesn't sound very democratic, though I know very little about Poland, isn't that the sort of things the Russians did ?

Tusk is a very nasty piece of work, like most sores he's wet and runs.