An animal-rights party could save Portugal from the far right
The surprising potential kingmaker in Europe's next big election.
Portugal is less than two weeks out from its next national election, and the polls show the center-right coalition led by the opposition Social Democrats virtually tied with the left-wing bloc the ruling Socialists are heading.
In third place is the far-right Chega party, which fused populist anti-corruption rhetoric with bigoted attacks on the country’s tiny Roma minority. Chega has in recent weeks signaled its willingness to join a coalition government, though elder statesmen I spoke to last year from the traditional conservative party suggested an alliance with the Portuguese pals of political grenade-throwers like France’s Marine Le Pen and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro would be too taboo.
That means an unusual tiny party could end up playing kingmaker on March 10.
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