Portugal's Socialist leader and poll favourite meets supporters on last day of campaigning

Record ID: 1435115

  • Title: Portugal's Socialist leader and poll favourite meets supporters on last day of campaigning
  • Date: 4th October 2019
  • Summary: LISBON, PORTUGAL (OCTOBER 4, 2019) (REUTERS) PRIME MINISTER AND SOCIALIST LEADER ANTONIO COSTA ON A WALKABOUT IN CENTRAL LISBON, GREETING SUPPORTERS AND HOLDING A RED ROSE SUPPORTERS OF SOCIALIST PARTY GATHERED HOLDING FLAGS PORTUGUESE FLAG IN CROWD OF SUPPORTERS OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY VARIOUS OF COSTA IN THE MIDDLE OF A CROWD OF SUPPORTERS GREETING THEM AS THEY CHANT, "P-S, P-S" SOCIALIST SUPPORTERS MARCHING ON THE STREET SUPPORTING COSTA DURING HIS WALKABOUT (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) PORTUGUESE VOTER, HENRIQUE MELO, SAYING: "I hope that everyone goes out to vote in the upcoming election for the existing project. I think it has never been so easy to choose between a left project and a right project. It's much easier to vote now than it was and it is much clearer to know if a person is a person on the right or the left. I hope people go to vote and vote for the left." (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) PORTUGUESE VOTER, EUNICE GONCALVES, SAYING: "I think Antonio Costa, the Socialist Party (PS), will link up with the entire left, without leaving anyone out, unless a left-wing party says they don't want to be part of it." (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) PORTUGUESE VOTER, LETICIA GONCALVES, SAYING: "The possibility is that the Socialist Party will not win with an absolute majority because people at this time are afraid of absolute majorities, at least in the world we live in, so I think that with this fragmentation there is a risk the result will be very divided both on the left and right. It won't be so easy to put together a new government." VARIOUS OF COSTA SUPPORTERS MARCHING, WAVING FLAGS AND CHANTING, "P-S, P-S"
  • Embargoed: 18th October 2019 16:35
  • Keywords: Portugal Antonio Costa walkabout Portugal campaigning election Portuguese elections
  • Location: LISBON, PORTUGAL
  • City: LISBON, PORTUGAL
  • Country: Portugal
  • Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA001AZON03R
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Portuguese Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa walked through the steep, narrow streets of Lisbon on Friday (October 4) greeting supporters with the confidence of a candidate set to win the October 6 parliamentary election, according to opinion polls.
    A survey published on Thursday (October 3) indicate an outright majority is less likely now than a few weeks ago, when Costa's centre-left party had a voter intention of around 40% and the opposition as much as 15 points behind.
    Without an absolute majority, it is likely he will have to strike a deal with one or more parties to stay in power, but although his lead has halved, the scenario of an absolute majority cannot be ruled out.
    Costa's centre-left Socialist Party has ruled the country as a minority government with the support of two far-left, eurosceptic parties since 2015.
    (Production: Miguel Pereira, Catherine Macdonald)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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