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Portugal’s ruling Socialists lead in local elections but lose Lisbon


By Reuters
Published : 27 Sep 2021 08:58 PM | Updated : 28 Sep 2021 09:04 AM

P ortugal's ruling Socialists suffered a astonishment setback successful Sunday's municipal elections, losing power of Lisbon aft 14 years, though they remained the biggest enactment nationwide aft a ballot that encompassed much than 300 metropolis and municipality halls.

Carlos Moedas, erstwhile European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation from the main absorption Social Democratic Party (PSD), won Lisbon by a borderline of conscionable 1 percent point, securing 34.25% for his centre-right party's confederation with the blimpish CDS-PP.

"We commencement a caller rhythm today... which I judge begins successful Lisbon but volition not extremity successful Lisbon," Moedas, who seeks to marque the metropolis a "unicorn factory" for tech startups, said successful his triumph code successful the aboriginal hours connected Monday.

Read more: British holidaymakers return to Portugal as travel ban ends

Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa, an erstwhile politician of Lisbon, expressed disappointment implicit his party's no accomplishment there.

"It's lamentable but this is however ideology works. As everyone knows, the decision was unexpected ... I consciousness frustration, obviously," helium said.

But overall, with 99% of the ballots counted, the Socialists took 34.4% of the ballot and 147 municipalities crossed Portugal, good up of the PSD, which took 24% either connected its ain oregon successful confederation with the CDS-PP.

The effect is somewhat beneath that achieved by the Socialists successful the past parliamentary predetermination successful 2019 and successful the erstwhile municipal elections successful 2017.

The Communist Party came 3rd with 8.2% and the Left Bloc scored conscionable 2.8%.

The far-right Chega party, whose emergence since the predetermination of their archetypal subordinate of parliament successful 2019 has shaken up the governmental landscape, won conscionable 4.2% of the ballot and zero municipalities, falling good abbreviated of its extremity of becoming the third-largest governmental force.

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