António Costa, leader of the Partido Socialista (PS/Socialist Party) is set to call for a vote to oust the minority government of Prime Minster Pedro Passos Coelho and his Social Democratic Party (PSD/Partido Social Democrata).
According to a statement released by the PS in the early hours of Monday morning, Costa has agreed an alliance with the Bloco de Esquerda (BE/Left Bloc), the Partido Comunista Português (PCP/Portuguese Communist Party) and the Green Party (PEV/Partido Ecologista "Os Verdes"), and is backing a motion to take down the current government.
Although the sitting Prime Minister Coelho and the PSD won the election, they were unable to secure a majority in parliament, and negotiations began among the leftist parties to try and make a coalition that would be able to take power.
President Cavaco Silva, however, moved to block that eventuality, stating that he would not back a coalition of "anti-European partisan forces", referring to the PCP and BE, adding "now would be the worst possible moment to radically alter the foundation of our democratic regime which is not in line with the democratically expressed will of the Portuguese people".
The statement from Costa and the PS assures that "the conditions for a stable, responsible, coherent and durable government have been secured" by the parties, but that there would need to be "joint appraisal" of budgetary measures.
However, there was a guarantee that they would vote down the proposed program for government from Coelho.
Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho delivers his speech during the swearing in of the new government at the Ajuda palace in Lisbon. Image: Armando Franca / AP/Press Association Image
For their part, the PSD are ready for such an eventuality, and according to the Diario de Notícias, they are preparing for a fresh round of elections in order to return with an absolute majority.
The debate on the program for government put forward by Coelho's party is set to take place on Monday, with the likely rejection from the left alliance to follow on Tuesday.
