The elections for the Council of the Republic were repeated in the European constituency and the outcome changed: the Socialist Party elected two deputies, Paolo Pesco and Natalie de Oliveira, and the PSD lost its deputy, Esther Vargas.
The elections were held for the second time after the Constitutional Court ordered them to be repeated due to the cancellation of about 157,000 votes. The controversy is no longer new: in 2019, in the Europe constituency (which elects two deputies), the PSD was able to cancel 34,000 votes by immigrants who did not put a copy of the citizen’s card with the voter’s identity card. This was confirmed at that time by the PSD’s election of another deputy.
This time the complicated situation took on other dimensions, and despite the gentlemen’s agreement between the Socialist Party and the Socialist Party, it was the small parties and even without parliamentary seats – the Volt, and later also Chega, PAN, Livre and MAS – that changed the course of history, appeals to the court, While the greats were watching from the bench. Details Kafka.
Now, PS and PSD ensure that they are willing to change the law and remove all obstacles that lead to a large majority of 1.5 million voters residing abroad (who vote for constituencies in Europe and abroad, electing a total of four MPs), can exercise their right to vote democratically. And not only.
A conversation with Paulo Pesco and Esther Vargas, Head of Constituency Lists for PS and PSD in Europe, respectively, as well as with Céu Mateus, Professor of Health Economics at Lancaster University and, therefore, a voter living in the United Kingdom.
Emily Brontë is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, entertainment, literature, and current affairs. She is dedicated to producing clear, accurate reporting that helps readers stay informed about developments in the UK and around the world.
