Portuguese Mayor Warns Rising Far-Right Party Threatens Social Cohesion, Pushes Pragmatic Policies to Address Economic Pressures
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Lisbon was largely untouched by the far-right populism sweeping Europe until recently, when the Chega party won 12 seats in parliament on an anti-establishment platform.
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The mayor warns that extremist rhetoric risks breaking society in two and making moderation much harder. He wants to keep Portugal an example of moderation.
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Chega is rising in polls again amid a snap election caused by a corruption scandal, campaigning on an anti-corruption message.
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The mayor notes pragmatic solutions are needed for problems like housing costs, which he is trying to address with construction projects and subsidies even as prices climb.
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He says investing in social policies helps offset economic pressures on people that can feed populists' messages. Establishing dignity and welfare makes cities work better.