But jury’s out over whether it persuaded any of the undecided…
Last night’s televised debate between the two men determined to become the country’s next prime minister was “the most watched in the entire series” of 2024 election debates, with more than 2.6 million viewers tuning in for the one-and-a-half hour ‘question and answer’ session in Lisbon’s ‘Capitólio’ theatre.
But whether it ‘changed anything’ – particularly with regard to the 1.5 million ‘undecided’ voters is unclear.
SIC, for instance, is reporting today that “the Portuguese that saw the debate say it didn’t alter the way they are going to vote”.
And as critics pointed out shortly after it was all over – and the PS and PSD leaders were left with the task of exiting the theatre past throngs of protesting police agents – very little was actually ‘explained’.
The ‘elephant in the room’ remains the question over what AD (the PSD-led alliance) will do with CHEGA if it ‘wins the elections without a majority’: CHEGA is expected to do well in the voting, which will mean its support for a minority government of the right could well be crucial.
Rui Tavares, the leader of LIVRE – a tiny party seeking to increase its representation in parliament, but which could conceivably lose its only seat – believes this is one of the most important issues in this election.
And “Luís Montenegro did not make it clear to what extent he will deal with the far right on a day to day basis”, he told Lusa.
One assurance was made by PS leader Pedro Nuno Santos: he will not stand in the way of a minority government led by AD – but he insists he is doing everything in his power to ensure this is not the outcome of voting on March 10.
Overall, this was another ‘heated debate’, in which both men repeatedly accused each other of lying, and being unprepared for the role of prime minister.
Leader writer Carlos Rodrigues considered “the general tone of mutual hostility was not what viewers were expecting” and believes the “verbal aggression of the campaign will escalate” as the days countdown to March 10.
Who will that serve, he queried.
natasha.donn@portugalresident.com
