Season Greetings!

Getting into the holiday spirits and a political debate,- might not be the ideal combination. However, the Finns have managed to bring a little bit of it into the Christmas holidays as the former President Tarja Halonen happens to celebrate her birthday on the christmas eve.

It has been almost two years since her duties as a second term President or as a 'mother of this Nordic nation' came to an end but her popularity and good will attitude still carries on.

The city of Helsinki celebrated this special birthday by naming a park after her located in her childhood surroundings. Other climate panels and seminars and events have been organized to celebrate the 70th  birthday of Mrs. Halonen.

Presidency and legitimacy are a tough combination, moreover a very unlikely vision  in the Portuguese leadership scene,- as the current president enjoys severe unpopularity due to his distant behavior with Portuguese population, securing his management to the fact that Prime Minister fills up the main political stage. 

However, In Finland Tarja Halonen deserves to be noted more than she probably has as her interesting leadershipstyle and motherly nature combined formed a great political figure, much softer in a motherly way than Thatcher’s or Merkel’s style. Halonen as a self made woman, a daughter of a single parent paved her own way to the top as a minister in the end of the cold war.

Here is a video of excited Tarja fans thanking her for her service and giving birthday wishes (from two years ago already but still a ‘Facebook-share -hit’ among the Finns during Christmas season).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy29kXaYQeU

I’ld like to finish up pondering how could the relationship between the citizens and the political authority be improved in Portugal since the Portuguese president wouldn’t really enjoy more support even if there wouldn't be any euro crisis.  Why is it that the political leadership in Portugal is still stuck in the ice age?

 Hopefully we will meet again next year with new ideas and conflicts to think about! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2014!

  http://www.presidenthalonen.fi/en/

Reporting misery, truly media-sexy

 Almost all Portuguese tune in for the eight o’clock news every evening; thus, I no longer wonder why there are only two great political parties in full function in Portugal.

Media, plays a huge part delivering and shaping people opinions and often the late night news in almost all 5 news channels are dedicated for PSD or the Socialist party. The lastly mentioned as an oppositional party gathers the headlines criticizing the current events almost every night. It is definitely media-sexy. 

Media sexy, an event that gathers everyones attentions and forces a form an opinion, it is The hot potato.

Suffering from the aftermath of the euro crisis, turns everything inevitably politically media sexy. There is no green party explaining their vision for the economy in the 8 o’clock news, nor much of a current governing party CDS-PP (center right) not to mention the animal parties etc.  No, the media likes it this way as it can create new topics.

It is the Portuguese mentality that thrives from the ‘tristeza’, saddness and ‘miseria,-misery because it is easier for the media, than even trying to explain that the difference in the last trimester for inflation slowing down is a promising sign.

RTP being the official news channel founded by state can be the most guilty of bad journalism; as for instance the last euro crisis news piece; coming from Ireland; with the title “Ireland is gaining back its sovereignty”. Which is a very media sexy title for the Portuguese nation. Moreover, - relating to it becomes quite easy.

The truth is; Ireland never lost its sovereignty in the first place. As a basic political science methodology is that a country does not loose its territory; citizens & culture; nor governance over taking up a loan and paying it back. Again explaining this to the public is not media sexy. It never is.

So can there be something positive in this troika set up? Look at Latvia, a country who struggled the most getting back on its feet after the Soviet collapsed. For Last ten years fought hard financially and thus received a very welcomed EU membership and with the help of the EU; European Central Bank and IMF; it is one of the growing economies in the EU region.  After even a greater suffering and belt tightening than Portugal has experienced.

Therefore, if the troika program doesn’t produce the wanted results, then perhaps the blame lies within the Portuguese governing structure per se. Not the other way around. Once again put this in the news, not media sexy.

Lastly, the point is the media could for change try to emphasize something else other than the misery and actually try to find both aspects in to the story, as there always exists both sides. So far we only been hearing one.

By no means I am trying to say getting back on your feet is easy as a Nation, on the contrary. But if you loose hope, it is not cause of the IMF, that depends on the Nation itself.

I grew up in the late 80´s and 90´s Finland where economic depression was the first and the last thing one would hear during the day. Where teachers were constantly striking and ‘way-below -the belt’ fart humor glorified the TV channels to cheer up the people and where people did not know where and if will they work tomorrow. 

Thus, knowing the change will not happen in a day, it is a process leaving scars  but it will take a turn at some point.

Politicians & Brand Image

New Semester and new ideas! As you have probably already noticed; a new 'portugalitics' layout has been updated. As a matter a fact; lately I have been working on 'analyzing the concept of Nation Brand' and searched its impact in political marketing. Therefore, got a bit of a 'redesign blog image' urge myself! What do you think?

Simon Anholt a regular lecturer in the area of Nation Brand and a foreign policy and image specialist, introduces some fresh aspects in his keynote speech in the European Parliament down below. According to Mr. Anholt "a politician is as much a brand image manager these days as a policy maker". Indeed. However, as it seems the portuguese,- dare I say it, have underestimated their voters in terms of social media and its powers. The stigma of not taken seriously during a financial crises in case someone tweets about it, still haunts vividly. You see, taking care of one's image through social media eats creditability in the portuguese culture. This is interesting, since in Northern Europe, tweeting or blogging  are keenly used instruments to present ideas. In other words, to promote image even if its during the euro crisis.

If it's all about getting closer to your voters, I don't see what could possible be the issue here.

Money talks and bullshit walks

So the election campaining can be set aside for the next four years in the portuguese localities. The leaf lets have been passed on among the electoral souveniers like calendars; umbrellas; pencils; pens; keychains and numerous concerts and facebook campain later; here we are with the results.

The four main parties CDS-PP (democratic centre party, a.k.a conservative party: PSD (social democrats)  and PS (socialist party) and CDU (coalition between the Communist Party and the Greens) visibly campaigned on behalf of their principles.

So it was the Socialist Party who claimed the victory and protest votes of the portuguese against  PM Coelhos’s government, however, unknowing it wouldn’t change its course.

I’m having some trouble believing in the democracy of these elections not only because of the system itself, (for which I get back to in the end) but for fact that all parties seem to have a drastic budget difference in their election campaing. PSD and PS both have some serious money used. Looking at their budget for a financially struggling Portugal even for these elections seems quite absurd. Not to mention, there is never a fair playground to start with towards a new commers or other smaller parties. Locally, we can disscuss a difference of tens of thousands of euros. Therefore, money talks and you know what may walk. There is no price roof for a campaign budget. Shouldn’t there be?

  However, there is one silverlining and a winner; Mr. Rui Moreira, who ran for The Porto city Mayor’s office independantly and won.  Since the biggest Parties tend to be under the power wing of Porto’s corporate world, -some might say it was a bit of a miracle to get in the top three, not to mention to win. 

Well, now we no know the results. Time will tell who can actually get their hands dirty of the actual work as majority of portuguese localities enjoy a great deficit to fix. And I really mean concretely get their hands dirty.

I’ld wish to see a great example like this italian small town mayor Giuseppe Figoni, who has managed to save money by doing the gutters himself ans fixing road signs etc. It doesn’t keep money circuling by outsoarcing services but as an only mayor in the whole of italy has managed to save money. 

 video about Mr. Figoni, click here

Back to the Portuguese electoral playground; as a foreigner the whole point of any democratical elections here seems absurd since nobody (other than presidential elections) votes for a person, instead you vote for a party. A political party then agrees amongst its members who gets in and who stays out.

To sum- up, actual change will not arrive to Portugal before a new constitution; taxation reform and new electoral system; where democracy is held by letting people to choose and vote for a real candidate other than a party unknowing who is going to lead them on for the next four years. Unfortunately, this won’t still happen at least for few more years to come.

There might not be light in the end of the tunnel

Lately I´ve been driven by the news from my finnish hometown Tampere, in western Finland; where the city hall will be voting whether or not to proceed with a 120 million euro loan to build a tunnel - due to the growing traffic jams.

The current tunnel issue has been the debate of this summer. Due to economic difficulties the city hall’s majority is still divided wether to pursue with it or not. Opponents favor other alternatives; opening train lines, other public transpotations or even widening the current freeway. Now - as an outsider - following this disscussion I can’t help but think of Porto as a great example. For once, there is something a northern european city hall could perharps learn from the extremely traffic jammed southern European cities.

As it happens that, Portugal is famous for its overcrowded-roadheaven, where everywhere you turn you can find a new highway or a tunnel either built or being built. Although, there is a catch. Every vehicle needs to pay a toll fee to use those roads.

Due to the current economic difficulties, the tolls have taken upon an even higher fee. As a result the national (toll free) roads are full again, and so is the (forgotten and outdated) public transpotation.

I find this matter as a very serious possibility that might happen to my home city as well. As a matter of fact, the Finnish government was disscussing the toll road fee procedure - possibly to begin within in the finnish road system starting next year.

It seems that the ‘solution’ is to get in debt now, to solve a possible future problem, without considering its serious repercussions in society, nor technological advances.

As a result of the vote, the worst scase scenario would be; The city hall would commit to a loan; a tunnel would be built and money invested for a secure new highway. Road tolls find their way in, and citizens would find driving too expensive as the gasoline prices go up. Then, a need to invest to public transpotations starts growing and when there is no more money to invest the situtation becomes tricky... and more loans will be needed.

After seeing how useless investments to a fallacious ‘road heaven’ can be made - my own opinion assures me that such a project should be rejected.

After all, I must admit how dissapointed I am about how the finns ignore the EU’s pressure to turn the green gear on. The car scene wil be extremelly different by 2030, and all current mobility projects obsolete.

P.S. I’ve never seen a real traffic jam in any finnish highway or a freeway and to consider Tampere as the Northern European most populated inland city is truly amusing.....

The human side of politics....

After the summer holidays, one tends to naturally to approach this never ending political battlefield with a slightly lighter manner. So after spending time up in the northern part of Europe and watching the lighter side of scandinavian leaders, I began to wonder when will southern european leaders change or alter their conservative leadership? By this of course,  meaning legitimacy and humanity as a aspect presented to the public. After all, that is what the EU is all about. Bringing it closer to people.

As an example here three examples from youtube:

Last week norwegian PM Jens Stoltenberg who drove a taxi to test to know what were people really thinking. Second, Previous finnish president Mrs. Tarja Halonen, who's last year as a president was documented into a movie, showing different aspects of her work from official visit to showing her playing with her pets.  Lastly,  the swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt taking part to a funny sketch for Eurovision song contest during the interval.

Old leaders still leading the new?

There is a saying in my country; “Vanhassa vara parempi” that is freely translated “you’ll be secured with the old” but I wonder if that’s the case with politics? As a foreigner, watching the news and reading news papers, there is something shining out from the portuguese political field that really strikes me. You see, in a peculiar and weird way this country seems to want to hear the opinions of previous presidents or PM’s. I must say, I don’t know many European countries with a similar desire. Think about it; do you see or hear Sarcozy analyzing Hollande or Mr Blair insisting David Cameron to do otherwise.

Better yet,  do we hear George Bush advising Obama on any level?  No, we don’t.

In northern scandinavian  countries you normally do not see this at all.

However, in the portuguese media the old seem to know better. They seem to still fight for their party. Let’s take an example; former Portuguese President Mario Soares who was in office during 1986-1996.  Seems to know it all,- when it comes to modern technicalities of the current political field as often he expresses his points of view to the public. My questions is... Really? With all respect, as he is almost 90 years old. I wonder doesn’t he seem more of a burden than a beneficial aid to his party?

Or Mr. Socrates, who is now highly civilized after pursuing studies in France (after he lost the previous elections in 2011) and regularly comments on RTP his ideas about the current government. 

Final example; Mrs. Manuela Feirreira Leite, who has announced all the things she would have done differently as a PSD leader. So I ask, how does this favor the social democrats?

I have to say, I am in awe of the socialist frontier of politics as i don’t see how they benefit from it. With no offense, butwe all know that the world is a bit different than it was in post-cold-war frontier and it has even changed from the last 2 years when socrates admitted game over loss. 

Where I come from, if you are smart you stay out of it as there are simply new facts you can not know, state secrets you see. Thus, maintain one’s legitimacy. It makes you wonder if the previous politicians just hold the parties back instead of leading them on to a future.

It "Snowd en" in Moscow: Hollywood and real politik...

 Has anyone been watching the news lately about Snowden and thought “ I saw this movie!”... To me it seems like the movie ‘Terminal’ inside out. Remember, its the movie where Tom Hanks plays a traveller to New York from a former soviet country and due to the political situation that happens during his flight his access to Us is denied. So he sleeps at the airport seeks a temporary residence. I don't’ think any Hollywood producer thought this could happen the other way around.

As the american citizen Mr. Snowden is currently hanging out at Moscow airport going “Tom Hanks”.

So it is U.S Government put to the test as The EU has begun its negotiations towards its terms and free trade with US. At the same time everyone seems to astonished about the US spy abilities towards European countries.

Then comes the Bolivians and the plane search; who said what... Americans insulted; therefore Snowden can come and stay with us.. Meanwhile, The EU is finding it hard to swollow publicly that they are in "shock " of how  the US have used their resources to get information.

Ouh, c’mon... It’s so Hollywood that I think Ben Affleck and Catherine Bigelow should work together on this one.

Who´s a team player?

Recently, the portuguese government has been challenged by the utmost pressure to re invent itself. The coalition party of the current government - CDS-PP - has announced that it will not tolerate the thriven political ambition nor support the PM’s choice of a new finance minister since Mr. Vitor Gaspar resigned. If this will happen; the portuguese government will be consisted of a one party entirely.

Understandably, the power party PSD (social democrats) has tried to save the country with it’s strict and firm loan and tax policy; which of course the socialist parties in the opposition has ironically criticized. The Socialist party itself could be another story in this entirely, because they were the ones in power previous to PSD and got the the country to the mess its in in the first place.

However, coming back to the topic. What I’d like to question is why don’t the portuguese winning parties aim towards a ‘team played’ government which would include several parties?

As it happens, the portuguese government, if its lucky, will be founded by 2 parties (in this case CDS and PSD). Very american I must say.

So I ask my friends, where is the democracy in this? It stuns me that no party is willing to negotiate a government that would include all parties - because most likely it would favor the legitimacy of the winning party and let the ones who lost still have a voice. 

In Northern Europe this is standard procedure. Maybe this has also been the downfall of Passos Coelho’s government as getting the country back on its feet including all parties would have favorable to him. Now, people are anticipating new elections to in the near future, one can only hope that the upcoming winning party would take a new toll on manner to run the country, otherwise their time in power will be limited as well.

P.s ... By no means am I a fan of any particular portuguese party but one might wonder whether Passos Coelho should replace Gaspar with Antonio Jose Seguro? Think about it;  the PS would have a shot to show exactly what do they mean to do better and Passos Coelho would enjoy legitimacy equally fathered government... and perhaps in the end would get to say...”i told you so!”.. 

As a foreigner it’s a shame to see that this sense of togetherness “we can get through this” is not being forced by any political leader, therefore no hope is given to people who so desperately need it. One could compare FDR from the US and his politics to save America from the great depression and managing to get re-elected. Could this happen to Mr. Coelho? Time will tell.

Calling for young know-how power and modernization in local portuguese politics... anyone??

As a foreigner in Portugal; one tends to have automatically a different out take and an aspect as a whole towards any drastic news or events and especially on politics.

The upcoming municipal elections in Portugal have already started to influence the street scene not to mention the on going troika- debate from the left has lasted since the current social democrats came into power two years ago. 

However,  as a young female I’ve come across several election adds with men well on their forties (to be the polite here) not to mention I’ve only seen one ad by a female candidate.

Now, me personally am not a fan of any quotas group in general, therefore, do not think females should be added just because they are there but I have to admit that the still lack of them is mind striking, after the all we are in the 21st century. I’m getting a feeling that the current political leadership in portugal is on going with a cold war twist negotiations terms among the portuguese business elite which is of course male orientated. So I ask, in what gap would the women enter or fit in the first place?

More importantly, I was  reading local political news from Finland earlier this week . This headliner was  about a newly selected leader for party deputies of the left alliance. Her name is Hanna Sarkkanen and she is 25 and studies history among other things. Can't help but wonder could this ever be possible in Portugal? So far looking into the upcoming election ads; I have seen one woman campaigning but no one under the age of 30. After knowing several political science students in portugal, can't help but question why doesn't "local grass root" political structure acknowledge the benefits of young political input in Portugal?

Why can’t youth influence boldly enter into local politics? I have asked this from many local politicians and their answer would always come around “It is hard to recruit young people to take part.” Ironically, I find that  hard to believe. I’m studying political science in a university in Porto, thus I’m constantly meeting young new highly educated people who are keen on politics and desire to debate the future of the country. So I am asking again why wouldn’t any Political party want to refresh their imagine and implement some new “know-how” and get on with it? 

Oh and yes... then  I’m sure you are asking now...but what about the lists? For those who don’t know; In Portugal if one desires to proceed with a political career, obviously you then recommendably choose a party  but in order to become a candidate you have a sign in for a listing, processing from first to last. And in every election who gets in is the one fist after being listed on the list the longest. Thus, you do not vote for a person per se, you vote a political party who then let their longest on the list to enter when and if they gain a seat. The irony of questioned democracy in this system is almost amusing and a whole other topic itself. But coming back to our topic of the day;  in municipal election however,  it is the parties amongst themselves who decide who goes ahead a serious candidate. Not the lists, moreover the influence can the excluded.

To be honest, I have done research and if I could vote on the upcoming municipal elections; I would struggle immensely to find my candidate for the obvious reason,- I have no one to relate to nor to advocate my ideals.