Oh oh, trouble in Portugal...

[Kaz]

Agreed Ossie, it is still chilling

[cromwell]

At the end of the day the socialists and their allies have enough seats to form a government, and they are not being allowed to primarily because they oppose the regime of austerity imposed by the banks and the EU.

What happens now? Because a minority government will just get voted down every time? New general election?

[Workingman]

The Queen would never interfere in politics like that.

Maybe not the speech, but in 2010 she was advised to ask Cameron to try to form a government because he was the leader of the largest party, even though parties of the left and left-of-centre collectively held the most seats.

Had the LibDems refused to enter a coalition Cameron would have lead a minority Tory government.

Sans the speech the two situations are not dissimilar.

Ossie, I was not blaming you for the quote. That paragraph was deliberately placed in such a way as to make us all think it was from the mouth of the President, and it worked.

[Aggers]

I am deeply concerned about some of the statements that have been made over the question of membership of the E.U. Democracy, with all its faults, is still preferable, in my opinion, to what is turning out to be a modified form of dictatorship.

Frankly, I can't see why we need to have an alliance with any other counties, unless it be with the British Commonwealth. I can remember the time when UK Government advice to the people was "Buy British". Is all the trading with foreign countries really necessary? Surely we are capable of manufacturing here everything necessary for our own use? Why can't we be independent and close our borders to foreigners? Or is it too late for that? - have we already let in too many? Why can't we go back to how things were in my early life, when everyone had surnames one could pronounce? Yes - I know - you will say it's my age - and you're dead right! During my lifetime I have witnessed a continual downfall of this once-great country - and it's not my ruddy fault.

[Suff]

I haven't read into this very much because I've been travelling and working my tail off at home this weekend.

But, from what I have read so far, the left coalition fought the election as a single coalition party. The same as Syriza in Greece. Unlike Syriza, the coalition won the election with a sweeping majority. Only to have the President hand the forming of a government to the largest single non coalition party for reasons of "perception in the markets".

This is entirely different to Britain in 2010 and 2015. In both those elections each party fought the election alone and independently with no pre arranged agreement.

Now, if Britain were to base it's election results on the actions of the justification of the Portugese President, then the Tories would never be out of Government and we wouldn't have a welfare state. Because, in every case, handing government to those who don't want to toe the capitalistic markets line on Democracy has an economic impact.

What the President was really saying was "The EU institutions will cut us off from our finances if we allow a government such as Syriza into power". For that the President should be impeached and removed. Because the will of the people has been tested and they don't want to go with what the previous governments agreed.

That should be binding. That it is not means democracy is only binding so long as it is expedient in Portugal. I see that the UK still has a lot to teach the EU and I see that they are still not listening. If you have Democracy, then it is in the hands of the people. If it is not in the hands of the people, then it is not democracy.

I expect the next stage of this drama will be the removal of the President and replacement with one that is in line with the Socialist coalition. Then when the next election is held.... The people will have spoken... But I could be wrong on that...

[Workingman]

The left coalition did not contest the election as a single entity. They contested it as individual parties.

Collectively they had a majority, but the largest party is first in line to form a government, as the article says.

In 2010 the UK the collective 'Left' 'won' the election, but did not become the government due to FPTP. Our Queen invited the biggest party, the Tories with Cameron, to form a coalition.

[Suff]

As I said, I was travelling and had not read in depth. I stand corrected. If the biggest party has been handed the choice, then the rest of them know what they need to do next time.

On an amusing note, we've now had the first comedian with no political experience voted in as President in Latin America with 70% of the vote.

Portugal, now you know what you have to do.....