(09/24/09) -

Portugals Socialists Get Boost Just before Election Day

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Portugal’s
ruling Socialist Party (PS) could well secure its re-election in this weekend’s
ballot, according to a poll by Marktest published in Diario Economico. 40 per
cent of respondents would vote for the PS in Sunday’s election, up 4.5 points
since July

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Portugal’s
ruling Socialist Party (PS) could well secure its re-election in this weekend’s
ballot, according to a poll by Marktest published in Diario Economico. 40 per
cent of respondents would vote for the PS in Sunday’s election, up 4.5 points
since July.

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) is second
with 31.6 per cent—down 2.6 points—followed by the Leftist Bloc (BE) with nine
per cent, the Social Democratic Centre / Popular Party (CDS/PP) with 8.2 per cent,
and the Unitarian Democratic Coalition (CDU)—which includes the Portuguese
Communist Party (PCP) and the Environmental Party "The Greens"
(OV)—with 7.2 per cent.

The Socialists won the February 2005
parliamentary ballot, garnering 45.3 per cent of the vote and electing 121
lawmakers to the 230-seat Assembly of the Republic. Socialist leader Jose
Socrates took over as prime minister in March. In May 2008, Manuela Ferreira
Leite was elected as the new leader of the right-leaning PSD.

In February, Socrates was ratified as PS
leader, garnering 96 per cent of all cast ballots in an internal election.

In June, the governing Socialists fared
poorly in the election to the European Parliament. The opposition PSD garnered
31.7 per cent of the vote and eight of the 22 seats at stake, while the PS
finished in second place with 26.6 per cent and seven seats.

A proposed high-speed TGV rail connecting Portugal with the rest of Europe
has emerged as the latest campaign issue. On Sept. 15, Socrates and  PSD leader Manuela Ferreira Leite participated
in a televised debate, and the issue was brought up by Ferreira Leite, who
declared: “If I’m elected prime minister as I expect and desire, I can assure
that I’m going to suspend the TGV project.”

The prime minister replied, asking her,
“Why did you defend the high speed train while you were in government? Now
you’re against it?”

Portugal’s
general election is scheduled for Sept. 27.

Polling Data

What party would you vote for in a general
election?

Source:
Marktest / Diario Economico
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 811 Portuguese adults, conducted from
Sept. 18 to Sept. 21, 2009. Margin of error is 3.45 per cent.