[1/9]Retired members of the military stand inside an original military vehicle of Portugal’s Carnation Revolution during the commemorations of the 50th anniversary of Portugal’s Carnation Revolution that resulted in the overthrow of the dictatorship and transition to democracy, in Lisbon, Portugal… Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Read moreDiscontent over a housing crisis unleashed by steadily rising rents has boosted the far right, as have low wages, sagging healthcare and cases of alleged corruption involving the mainstream parties.
Jose Duarte, 29, said that celebrating the revolution this year had gained in importance because of the rise of the far right, which he hoped would be temporary.
“The far right can be fought by all of us with the legacy of those who made the April 25 (revolution),” he said.
‘ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM’
Lisbon University political scientist Antonio Costa Pinto said that while most Portuguese embrace liberal democracy and are proud of the April 25 revolution, the growing popularity of the populist, anti-immigration Chega was the “elephant in the room” at this year’s Carnation Revolution celebrations.
“Chega attracts those who have a revisionist view of history with the idea that colonialism and the empire were not bad, and that the glorious Portuguese past and its symbols should be valued,” Costa Pinto said.
Chega makes frequent public use of Salazar’s motto “God, patriotism and family”, to which the party has added “work”.
Chega leader Andre Ventura has denied that he or his party is fascist, while being anti-establishment and wanting to change Portugal’s constitution.
“Fifty years ago we had a revolution that gave us freedom, but along the way our dignity was taken away from us,” Ventura told parliament on Thursday, accusing the ruling Social Democrats and main opposition Socialists of failing to end poverty.
Founded in 2019, Chega is Portugal’s third largest party, having quadrupled its cohort of lawmakers to 50 in March’s parliamentary election.
Sign up here.
Reporting by Sergio Goncalves, editing by Aislinn Laing, Mark Heinrich, Charlie Devereux and Timothy Heritage
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
Purchase Licensing Rights
Source link : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/portugals-democracy-turns-50-thousands-commemorate-carnation-revolution-2024-04-25/
Author :
Publish date : 2024-04-25 07:00:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.