Portugal evokes revolutionary spirit against austerity

Thousands of Portuguese have turned out to protest against austerity cuts – gatherings have been held in more than 40 cities across the country.

With the so-called Troika of lenders ( the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and the European Central Bank) in Lisbon for the seventh evaluation of the country’s €78 billion bailout programme, the general message was “enough is enough” to the spending cuts.

The fall in living standards and the rise in unemployment are ammunition for trade union leaders such as Armenio Carlos, Secretary-General of CGTP:

“Today it is clear that this government has no political legitimacy, has no moral legitimacy, has no ethical legitimacy to continue to govern, because any visit, by any minister is followed with protests and demands for the resignation of the government. The government has became the problem that prevents the solution.”

Those unhappy about the centre-right government’s relentless austerity drive have also found a novel way to protest. They hound politicians by singing a celebrated song from the 1974 Carnation Revolution!

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