
Portugal’s Socialists secure victory in local elections
Page created: Monday, 2 October 2017 16:31 GMT
Thematic
Portugal’s ruling Socialists reaped the rewards of a burgeoning economy this weekend by winning a decisive victory in local elections midway through the first term of the country’s anti-austerity government. The nationwide polls on Sunday, the first electoral test for António Costa, Portugal’s centre-left prime minister, since he took office two years ago, were a strong indication that his minority government is likely to survive for a full four-year term. In their biggest local election victory in four decades of democracy, the Socialists (PS) won control of least 157 of the country’s 308 municipalities and 38 per cent of the total vote early on Monday with less than 1 per cent of the vote still to be counted.

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