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The tension of the electoral campaign in Portugal seems to have surpassed Prime Minister António Costa : less than 48 hours after the opening of the polls, the socialist candidate has starred in a tense encounter with an old man this Friday, exposing his most enraged side to the media, which broadcast the episode live to thousands of Portuguese viewers. The clash could be expensive for its formation, which the polls place very few points of the absolute majority in the national elections of this Sunday.
The confrontation occurred this afternoon, when Costa toured the emblematic Plaza del Comercio after participating in the closing ceremony of the Socialist Party in Lisbon. The prime minister chose to take a mass bath and toured the galleries of the square on foot, speaking with those who were there. While passing among the militants, he ran into an old man who recriminated him for his management of the greatest tragedy of the legislature : the devastating fire of Pedrógão Grande, in which 64 Portuguese died in June 2017.
The old man rebuked Costa for allegedly having been on vacation when the fire occurred , an accusation clearly felt by the prime minister, who went from smiling to being visibly irritated. "That is a lie, it is a lie," snapped the head of the Government. "Don't interrupt me," protested the old man, who made a point of continuing to argue with Costa.
"I interrupt because it's a lie!" The prime minister shouted, more and more tense. The socialist candidate wanted to end the meeting, turning around and taking a few steps, but suddenly he seemed to lose control ; He turned, and advanced on the old man with apparent intention of throwing himself against him.
Costa's fury was such that his security guards, clearly alarmed, blocked his way before he reached his accuser , visibly worried that the clash could become violent. Several militants also tried to retain the head of the government while he shouted "Liar!" again and again, pointing his index finger in anger.
The tension of the moment was only reduced when it occurred to someone to remove the old man from the area , and the Costa advisors persuaded him to continue on his way. In statements after the Portuguese press Costa said that his accuser was, in fact, a provocateur "raised by the right", who accused that he had starred in a "black campaign" against him. " It is ashamed that they go through these types of blows, " he said. "There are limits."
Although he refused to identify himself, when he was reached by the Portuguese media on the outskirts of the Plaza del Comércio, the old man who exchanged the words with Costa declared that he was not a subversive agent of the right and that, in fact, he was a historical voter of the formation of the prime minister. "I am not a salesman. I have always voted for the Socialists."
It should be noted that the accusation made by the elder is false: the prime minister was not on vacation when the Pedrógão fires took place. Although the government's management of the tragedy was highly questioned, the head of the Government followed it closely, even moving to the affected area to continue operations.
The encounter has had an immediate impact in Portugal, where it became the subject of the front page of the newspaper websites. The polls predict that the Socialists will be the most voted in the elections of this Sunday, and the most favorable polls that would be done with 38.8% of the votes, to very few points of 40% that, out of curiosities of the electoral law lusa, would imply the control of an absolute majority of the seats in the Assembly of the Republic. The negative image that has left the clash could clear the possibility of a last-minute socialist advance, and condemn Costa to a minority government during the next term.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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