Crisis in Portugal: Prime Minister Costa threatens with resignation

Portugal's Prime Minister, Antonio Costa, threatened on Friday evening with his resignation. The socialist, since 2015 is a minority government. Thus, a serious government crisis threatened the country a few weeks before the European elections.

the Background is a dispute over teachers ' salaries, with a left-wing Alliance, which is based Costas coalition. The Parliament will vote for a strong salary, plus the teachers should be finally adopted, see, he is forced to retire, said the 57-Year-old. The left electoral Alliance "Bloco de Esquerda" spoke of a "hasty Ultimatum."

the media speculated about a possible re-election before the regular General election on may 6. October is supposed to take place. Together with Spain, Portugal is so far one of the last bastions of the Left in Europe. The country was in the Wake of the financial crisis and the debt crisis in turbulence, but recorded earlier than some of the other southern European EU state back to economic success.

Costas threat was a vote ahead of gone on in the Wake of the crisis years of frozen salary of the teacher increases in Portugal. According to the decision of a parliamentary Commission on Thursday is to be compensated, contrary to Costas line – now the whole of the period in which the wages were not adjusted, financially. The approximately nine and a half were years. At the time of the vote, the left Partner is not supported Costas warehouse, but the conservative Opposition.

multi-hour crisis meeting

reported that After a multi-hour crisis meeting of the Cabinet the head of government met on Friday afternoon with the President of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa as Portuguese media. He then turned in an address to the population.

The Portuguese teachers had demanded increases with strikes and protests, an additional Payment of the shortfall in salary. The government stressed before the vote, however, such a decision would cost the budget up to 800 millions of Euro, because hundreds of thousands of other state would sign up member of staff claims. In order for a "Pandora's box will open," said Finance Minister Mário Centeno, according to the newspaper "Correio da Manhã".

After the serious debt crisis nearly ten years ago, Portugal had embarked on a strict austerity course. In 2018, the budget deficit amounted to only 0.5 percent – the lowest in 45 years. Add to this strong growth rates. As the driving force Centeno, in January 2018 and Euro group chief. However, citizens recently made their displeasure is always a vehement air. In April, the government had to because of a strike of the drivers of hazmat trucks to declare the energy emergency.

(red/sda)

Created: 04.05.2019, 07:47 PM