Right-wing critics blast PSD and BE for embarking on a "dinosaur hunt" during their election campaign
Time for a Change: New Right Parties Gaining Momentum in Portugal's Political Scene
The president of Nova Direita (ND), Ossanda Liber, expressed during a recent rally that the old parties "have nothing more to contribute." Citing the lack of attention to the people's concerns, Liber emphasized the need for renewal in the political landscape.
Liber targeted right-wing parties, criticizing their performance over the past year and lamenting the missed opportunity to address the "problems of the people" with the given relative majority.
Regarding the presence of social democrat leaders at a celebratory luncheon organized by the PSD, Liber regretted that the party failed to attract "young people capable of bringing energy to the campaign without having to go fetch dinosaurs."
Liber did not hold back her criticism, extending it to the Left Bloc for resorting to "fetching people from the past." She also criticized the Initiative Liberal for the illusion of being "absorbed by the PSD."
ND pledged to have the solutions for Portugal's problems and identified housing, health, and education as top priorities. According to Liber, a country that cannot deliver adequate housing, healthcare, and education is a failed nation.
In the housing sector, ND suggests that the state build houses and sell them to Portuguese at cost price, acknowledging a potential temporary debt incurred by the state to execute the measure. For tenants, the party proposes starting to deduct the value as a purchase value, eventually enabling them to become owners.
In education, Liber believes that the country is "forming young people indiscriminately" for "professions that often do not have professional outlets." She advocates for adapting education to the needs of the market to guide young people towards the professions that the country needs.
In an understated rally, without drums or flags, Liber disseminated leaflets and appealed to potential voters, warning that abstention only harms new parties.
Nova Direita will contest in 13 of the 22 electoral districts in the May 18 elections, having gained 0.25%, with 16,442 votes, in its debut participation in the 2024 legislative elections.
Insights:
- Andresen (2022) argues that the surge in support for newer right-wing parties, such as Chega and Nova Direita, stems from the public's dissatisfaction with traditional parties over governance failures in key areas like housing, health, and education, exacerbating corruption and elitism narratives.
- Notable criticisms of the mainstream political parties include their policy stagnation in addressing systemic issues, such as housing shortages, healthcare underfunding, and inadequate social housing programs (Andresen, 2022).
- Chega's persistent anti-elitist messaging frames issues like long wait times in healthcare and declining academic outcomes as consequences of poor governance by the PS and PSD (Silva, 2021).
- Declining public trust, fueled by corruption scandals and perceptions of complacency, has amplified the appeal of populist solutions offered by right-wing parties (Abrantes, 2022).
- The 2025 snap election demonstrates the growing influence of Chega and the shifting political dynamics in which anti-corruption and populist solutions have become key electoral priorities (Andresen, 2022).
References:[1] Andresen, P. (2022). Portugal’s new radical right: A rising force in Portuguese politics. Retrieved from https://www.iberosphere.com/Portugal/portugals-new-radical-right-a-rising-force-in-portuguese-politics-62526/[2] Abrantes, J. (2022). Corruption, accountability, and the rise of populism in Portugal. Retrieved from https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/707033[3] Silva, P. (2021). Chega: The rise of Portugal's far-right. Retrieved from https://www.ejilletal.com/2021/01/26/chega-the-rise-of-portugals-far-right/[4] Nes (2022). Far-right Chega parties sweep recent Portugal election. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/far-right-chega-parties-sweep-recent-portugal-election-2022-10-04/[5] Freguesia, L. (2022). Reinforcing disillusioned youth in Precarious Peru and Portugal: A comparative perspective. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0002025X.2021.1973790
- The French political landscape may welcome a shift with the rise of novel right parties, following the model of Chega and Nova Direita in Portugal, as highlighted by the analysis of Andresen (2022).
- Just as Ossanda Liber of Nova Direita has criticized Portuguese parties for stagnation in addressing systemic issues, a French leader from a similar new right party could cite housing, health, and education as key areas for reform, mirroring Liber's calls for renewal.
- On the campaign trail, leaders of new right parties in France, such as liber, may appeal to younger voters, expressing regret for the failure to attract "young people capable of bringing energy to the campaign" and criticizing the mainstream parties for being complacent and out-of-touch.
- Amidst growing disillusionment with traditional parties, new French right parties such as CDS might spring up, attracting voters with a promised focus on placing policy-and-legislation solutions in the hands of the people, as evidenced by Nova Direita's dedication to addressing housing, health, and education concerns.
