Just over a year ago, the Socialist Party’s resounding victory in the Portuguese legislative elections gave it a comfortable outright majority in Parliament. But the honeymoon with the voters appears to have foundered. For several months, the government of Antonio Costa faced multiple social unrest and a rapid decline in popularity. On Saturday, February 25, thousands of Portuguese are expected to take to the streets again under a common banner, a new platform called Just Life, calling on Portuguese to demonstrate against inflation in this country of low wages and low housing. exaggerated.
according to Catholic University Media Survey generalRTP and antenna 1published Thursday 23 February, 53% of Portuguese consider the administration of the government ” bad ” or ” very bad “more than fifteen points eight months ago, compared to 39% of those who considered it ” responsible “ barely 7% ” good “. The Socialist Party also dropped six points in voting intentions compared to July to 32%, followed closely by the Social Democratic Party (PSD, centre-right), to 31%.
Symbols of the social discontent gripping the country, teachers have been demonstrating regularly and en masse in the streets of Lisbon for more than two months, demanding higher salaries and better working conditions. They are demanding compensation for salaries frozen in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. They also condemn the instability of thousands of contract workers, hired for each new academic year tens or even hundreds of kilometers from their homes. Their €1,200 salary, which takes neither seniority nor the resulting travel and accommodation costs into account, barely allows them to complete the month.
“budget doctrine”
“The shortage of teachers is increasingly stark and the government’s actions to meet the needs, especially in the areas south of Lisbon, where rents are very expensive, only worsen teachers’ working conditions.”Sandra Dias, spokesperson for the new federation of all education professionals. For the 44-year-old Spanish teacher who teaches in Setubal, south of Lisbon, and who was under contract for more than eighteen years before his appointment, the government is wrong. “Arrogance “, due to its absolute majority, and by “The lack of political will to invest in the public sector, while it distributed millions of euros to the TAP airline or to the banks”And threatened with bankruptcy. Frequent opinion in the processions of the demonstrators.
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