Elections time of choices and criticism

With the lists of deputies having to be delivered to the Constitutional Court until April 7, the backstage of the main parties stir, except for PSD and CDs that finished the process of choice this Wednesday and left almost everything in the same.

Posters, campaign strategies and debates occupy discussions with different intensities according to the political force we are talking about. This is not the time to give visibility to internal disagreements, because any false word can mean a lists removal. Although no one wants to make a parallel between what happened in Madeira and what can happen in the country, the truth is that inside AD, PS and arrives, there is a lot who recommends a more tuned look.

Pedro Nuno’s strategy raises doubts
While Pedro Nuno Santos is directing the Mini States General, a format that has adapted to the early election scenario, in the rear many socialists are more concerned with the campaign line that the leader intends to follow, especially with regard to the exploitation of the Spinumviva case and the ethical issues surrounding the Prime Minister.

Among many socialists heard these days through the sunrise, there are still doubts about the role of the PS in triggering the political crisis, with many voices to argue that the party should have abstained in the vote of the confidence motion, avoiding elections at this time.

« Now we have come here, » they tell us and we must think very well what the way to follow. « The PS has no advantage in going to elections now, we are not prepared and Pedro Nuno still has problems of affirmation, » says another worried socialist, who comments that the two chosen posters « were not well received ». The two posters have both the image of Pedro Nuno Santos alone, one with the motto «É é already», in the other poster reads «ready for Portugal». And it is the latter that motivates a joke that circulates among some groups of socialists, more critical of the strategy of the Socialist Secretary, calling him a PPP candidate, alluding to public-private partnerships.

Jokes aside, the truth is that inside the party there are those who are concerned about a possible bad result in the May 18 elections. According to one of the voices heard by our newspaper « Pedro Nuno is good internally, because he has the party device, but whenever he campaigns he loses ». Critics speak of excessive inspiration for polls and Focus Group, over a less scientific look and closer to people, « most of the time speaks to the bubble, » he laments.
The final version of the deputies lists is one of the topics that is most concerned. « It is good to remember that this time Pedro Nuno Santos no longer has the problem of 37% of José Luís Carneiro, this has passed». This fact in conjunction with the departure of some heavy names that have already been announced as municipal candidates (officially the party has not yet taken a position on the impediment or not that these names enter the lists), provides a significant renewal on the socialist bench. As far as we tell us, this is the main reason why the environment is maximum discretion, even among the most critical. « If they knew they were going to win, they would talk louder, » a militant tells us with a lot of experience in electoral processes in the party. If I had to bet, this socialist would say that Pedro Nuno Santos wants to have a parliamentary group more in his image and less to the image of his predecessor.

Arrives, all waiting for the leader’s decisions
Contrary to what is happening on the PS and the PSD, there are no rules in choosing the names that will occupy the places in the Assembly of the Republic.
In recent days, the party’s various districts have made André Ventura their name proposals to integrate the lists, but to us a district guardian, « our participation ends there. » In the last national council of the party was given Carta Branca to Ventura to decide all the choices and that is what will happen.

« At this time we are all dark, no one knows whether it is or leaves, » he assures us to our source, who admits that the decision process can occur similar to the 2024 elections, in which André Ventura announced the lists by phases as he could negotiate with sonring names, often coming directly from other benches.
Given the problems associated with some of the 2024 choices, as was the case with Miguel Arruda, this time is there a special sieve? No one knows. It’s all in the hands of the leader.

Be recovers founders and JPP must enter
Decided are already the choices of the Left Bloc, which, concerned with the wear and tear of the latest electoral acts, bet everything in the back of the founders, to try to pour the votes missing in districts where the BE lost representation by the party that the party considers recoverable.
New in the next legislative session is the more than certain entry of JPP in Parliament. After the results obtained in Madeira, it is practically certain that the party will elect.