- Title: Portugal's Costa seeks absolute majority in Sunday's poll
- Date: 4th October 2019
- Summary: LISBON, PORTUGAL (OCTOBER 4, 2019) (REUTERS) PORTUGUESE PRIME MINISTER AND SOCIALIST LEADER ANTONIO COSTA ON WALKABOUT WITH SUPPORTERS IN CENTRAL LISBON HOLDING A RED ROSE AND BLOWING KISSES AT CROWD PEOPLE WATCHING COSTA GREETING SUPPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) PORTUGUESE PRIME MINISTER AND SOCIALIST LEADER, ANTONIO COSTA, SAYING: "Fortunately, in a democracy, there are no free-handed governments, because we have a free media that scrutinizes us. We have an independent justice system that oversees us. We have a plural parliament. We have an attentive president so there are never free-handed governments. Now what we cannot have is a government with tied hands that cannot fulfil the will of the Portuguese people." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) PORTUGUESE PRIME MINISTER AND SOCIALIST LEADER ANTONIO COSTA SAYING: "LONG LIVE PORTUGAL! LONG LIVE PORTUGAL! LONG LIVE PORTUGAL!" VARIOUS OF PROTEST OF NOTARY WORKERS ON STRIKE DEMANDING ACTION FROM COSTA
- Embargoed: 18th October 2019 17:42
- Keywords: Antonio Costa Portugal Socialist Party Portuguese elections elections
- Location: LSIBON, PORTUGAL
- City: LSIBON, PORTUGAL
- Country: Portugal
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZONYVB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Portuguese Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa addressed voters in Lisbon on Friday (October 4) as he campaigned to get enough votes to obtain and absolute majority on Sunday's (October 6) parliamentary election.
A survey published on Thursday (October 3) indicated an outright majority for the Socialists is less likely now than a few weeks ago, when Costa's centre-left party had a voter intention of around 40 percent and the opposition was 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.
"What we cannot have is a government with tied hands that cannot fulfil the will of the Portuguese people," Costa told supporters, referring importance of achieving an absolute majority to put his programme in action.
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: Marco Trujillo, Miguel Pereira, Catherine Macdonald) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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