Campaign Climax: Parties Seek to Bipolarize Vote

As Portugal’s election campaign draws to a close, party leaders are intensifying their efforts to galvanize support and frame the election as a two-horse race. The Socialist Party (PS) and the Democratic Alliance (AD) are making direct appeals to specific segments of the electorate,while André Ventura,leader of the Chega party,faced health challenges that temporarily sidelined him.

Socialist Party’s Broad Appeal

The PS is casting a wide net, aiming to attract voters from across the political spectrum. Pedro Nuno Santos, the PS secretary-general, expressed confidence in his party’s chances, suggesting that the PS is widely underestimated” in polls. He is specifically targeting:

• Voters who supported AD in the last election but are now embarrassed with a prime minister who mixes business with business.
• Those who are angry and considering voting for Chega, arguing that the arrival doesn’t have the solution to their problems.
• Voters on the left,assuring them that they can look at the PS as a progressive force,advance,defense of the social state.

Álvaro beleza, a prominent socialist leader, reinforced this message at a rally, urging voters to choose the port of shelter that is the PS, which does not sell for votes, rather than risk an AD project that may not take anything well. He emphasized the PS’s commitment to social programs, stating, PS takes care of health, takes care of education…we do not exchange values ​​for votes.

AD Focuses on Stability, Targets “Tired” Voters

Luís Montenegro, leader of the PSD, is focusing on voters who are tired of repeated elections. He positions the AD coalition as a source of stability,contrasting it with opposition parties that he claims are responsible for political instability.

Montenegro also characterized AD as an interclassist and politically moderate option, framing the election as a choice between himself and the socialist Pedro Nuno Santos. He criticized unnamed opposition parties for intellectual arrogance and for failing to connect with the people.

He stressed that the country does not want elections every year, nor should have elections every year, adding, We cannot always ask the people to solve what politics does not solve. He concluded by asserting that voters know the candidates for prime minister and the two major projects, framing other parties as not being factors of government stability.

Chega Leader’s Health Scare

André Ventura, the leader of the Chega party, was hospitalized due to an esophageal spasm, forcing him to temporarily withdraw from the campaign trail. Despite being discharged, he missed campaign events, leaving his party to continue its efforts without him.