Andrew Cornwell Portugal

Economy keeps Portugal’s Costa riding high

Portugal’s remarkable polling stability continued in May, according to this weekend’s surveys from pollsters Aximage and Eurosondagem – with the biggest movement of any party across both polls being a mere 0.6 per cent.

That will suit Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa (PS) who continues to enjoy a commanding lead over his Social Democrat rivals, the PSD. Notwithstanding the tiny movements in the polls, the PS has crept up to a new 2017 high with Aximage, at 42.4 per cent of voting intentions. In the same survey the 0.1 drop for the PSD takes it to a new low for the year with either pollster.

 

Chart by Visualizer

 

Costa’s domination – with his two junior leftist coalition partners equally solid in public support – is being spurred by the country’s outperforming economy. First quarter GDP growth at 2.8 per cent (annualised) was the best in ten years and tourism revenues have boomed. That has helped fuel excellent approval ratings for the government, and with Aximage this month new post-election highs are attained on two out of the three performance indices used by the pollster. On the third, the ‘best Prime Minister’ question, Costa dips slightly but remains at an extraordinary 66.2 per cent; his PSD rival Pedro Passos Coelho hits a new low with just 23.3 per cent saying he is the best person for the job.

 

EUROSONDAGEM
Voting intentions, per cent
(change on 7 April poll)

Socialist Party * (PS) 39.0 (-0.3)
Social Democratic Party (PSD) 29.0 (-0.3)
Left Bloc * (BE) 9.0 (nc)
Communist-Green Coalition * (CDU) 7.6 (+0.1)
Christian Democrats/People’s Party (CDS/PP) 6.9 (+0.5)
Others / “blank” vote 8.5 (nc)

* Denotes current coalition government member

Fieldwork: 03.05-10.05.2017. Released: 12.05.2017. Participants: 1005. Methodology: Telephone poll. Media partner: Expresso.

 

AXIMAGE
Voting intentions, per cent
(change on 8 April poll)

Socialist Party * (PS) 42.4 (+0.4)
Social Democratic Party (PSD) 24.5 (-0.1)
Left Bloc * (BE) 10.0 (+0.5)
Communist-Green Coalition * (CDU) 7.7 (+0.1)
Christian Democrats/People’s Party (CDS/PP) 5.4 (+0.6)
Others / “blank” vote/ unsure 10.0 (-1.5)

* Denotes current coalition government member

Fieldwork: 05.05-08.05.2017. Released: 14.05.2017. Participants: 603. Methodology: Telephone poll. Media partners: Correio da Manha, Negocios.

 

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