The Time of Responsibility

The democratic alliance unequivocally won the legislative elections of 18 May. The Socialist Party had a clamorous defeat, the third worst in its history, and can become the third political force for the first time in parliament. The arrival has grown and has questioned the alternating bipartisanism of the last five decades. The left had its worst result ever and neither as it achieves the representativeness of AD. This is the superficial summary of an electoral night that has motivated many comments about what brought us to these results.

Among the PCP’s proof of life, with the announcement of a rejection motion of the government program, and the media number of Ventura and a said ‘alternative government’, through Pedro Nuno Santos’ escape to the PS’s leadership duties, is lacking responsibility and maturity in the public space. If it is true that each party must make its own analysis of the impact of these elections, it is no less true than the times we live requires more. It is important for all political agents to look more at what their parliamentary representation can do through the country than for their own party or personal agendas.
What these results tell us, in a synthetic way, is that the Portuguese approve the governance of AD and who want to continue the political course they have chosen just over a year ago. They also tell us that they reject the return to socialist socialist governments of opportunistic alliances with the extreme left. And they tell us more: that there is a social majority from the center to the right of the political spectrum today. But we have to be honest in the analysis and assume that the expressive vote in a radical protest party is a symptom that we cannot ignore. Pretending that nearly one and a half million Portuguese displeased with the system is not an immediate mistake and an irresponsibility on time. The response to populism is good governance, with concrete results in people’s lives. To achieve them, we need the availability and commitment of all parties to realize the reforms and investments that the country needs.

The ‘constitutional majority’ that exists on the parliamentary right has been on the agenda, but many commentators seem to forget that this majority are precisely the same to the center. AD has been clear and coherent: ‘It is not no’ when it comes to coalitions, but Parliament will have the majorities that the Portuguese have decided and then all parties are called to assume their responsibilities. From now on, the arrival will not be able to hide behind abstentions or absences and to splash the proposals of the majority PSD-CDS will even have to ally with the left that it says fighting so much. From the Socialist Party we expect the responsibility of the founding party of the regime at this defining moment. The PS has an ideology and a different political program from the government and now has the mission of taking over it as an alternative, but circumstances impose a completely different political stance from the one that took over the last year and a half. There are essential reforms that need expanded majorities, there are structural investments that need stability and predictability beyond the legislatures and there are serious problems that require political and social dialogue.

The democratic alliance knew how to win with dignity. The opposition will have to know how to assume its role with humility. The future of Portugal requires it.

MEP PSD