Old grievances haunt Portugal’s vote: low pay, stagnation

By BARRY HATTON
Associated Press

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Sunday’s election for a new parliament and government in Portugal is providing a stage for voters to air old grievances. The country’s two main parties, the center-left Socialists and the center-right Social Democrats, have alternated in power for decades, but Portugal’s problems haven’t changed much. Familiar gripes include low pay, a public service structure that thwarts ambition, the nagging enticement of going to work abroad, and politicians’ broken promises of improvement. Portugal’s economy has been falling behind the rest of the European Union since 2000. An apparent surge in support for smaller parties means the two main parties will likely have to cut a deal with them to govern.