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| Outsider’s Victory in Portugal Reflects Continent’s Discontent | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| PORTO, Portugal — Rui Moreira seems an unlikely answer to the populist discontent stalking Europe’s mainstream political parties. Scion of one of this city’s richest families, he studied abroad, ran the family shipping business for a while, and then invested in everything from a popular nightclub here to wine distribution in Brazil and real estate in Chile. Until recently, politics was of little interest, he said. | PORTO, Portugal — Rui Moreira seems an unlikely answer to the populist discontent stalking Europe’s mainstream political parties. Scion of one of this city’s richest families, he studied abroad, ran the family shipping business for a while, and then invested in everything from a popular nightclub here to wine distribution in Brazil and real estate in Chile. Until recently, politics was of little interest, he said. |
| Yet in Portugal’s municipal elections in September, this son of privilege ran as a man of the people, and won. More than that, Mr. Moreira, 57, managed to do something virtually without precedent here or almost anywhere else in Western Europe, being elected mayor of a major city without having been affiliated with an established political party. | Yet in Portugal’s municipal elections in September, this son of privilege ran as a man of the people, and won. More than that, Mr. Moreira, 57, managed to do something virtually without precedent here or almost anywhere else in Western Europe, being elected mayor of a major city without having been affiliated with an established political party. |
| His victory, Mr. Moreira said in an interview as he was sworn in last month, amounted to more than a protest vote by citizens fed up with the parties — conservative and Socialist — that have mismanaged Portugal’s economy. It was proof, he said, that “voters now reject a system that has allowed apparatchiks to control traditional parties, in Portugal and elsewhere in Europe.” | His victory, Mr. Moreira said in an interview as he was sworn in last month, amounted to more than a protest vote by citizens fed up with the parties — conservative and Socialist — that have mismanaged Portugal’s economy. It was proof, he said, that “voters now reject a system that has allowed apparatchiks to control traditional parties, in Portugal and elsewhere in Europe.” |
| Indeed, long-established parties on the left and right are taking a beating across Europe as voters associate them with corruption, joblessness and stultifying bureaucracy — both within parties and governments — feeding a perception that Europe’s crisis is not just one of economics but also of leadership and ideas. | Indeed, long-established parties on the left and right are taking a beating across Europe as voters associate them with corruption, joblessness and stultifying bureaucracy — both within parties and governments — feeding a perception that Europe’s crisis is not just one of economics but also of leadership and ideas. |
| Their record-low popularity has collapsed the political center in austerity-squeezed countries, providing openings for populist parties to make inroads from the fringe, such as the U.K. Independence Party in Britain, Golden Dawn in Greece, the National Front in France, and the Five Star Movement in Italy. | Their record-low popularity has collapsed the political center in austerity-squeezed countries, providing openings for populist parties to make inroads from the fringe, such as the U.K. Independence Party in Britain, Golden Dawn in Greece, the National Front in France, and the Five Star Movement in Italy. |
| “The risk for Europe is that difficult times help spread populism, which in the worst-case scenario can then turn into totalitarianism,” said Mr. Moreira, who also wrote a book last year, “Ultimatum,” focusing on the slump of mainstream parties and Portugal’s general troubles. | “The risk for Europe is that difficult times help spread populism, which in the worst-case scenario can then turn into totalitarianism,” said Mr. Moreira, who also wrote a book last year, “Ultimatum,” focusing on the slump of mainstream parties and Portugal’s general troubles. |
| The Portuguese voiced their disaffection mostly by shunning the polls in September, raising the abstention rate to a record 47 percent. Those who did vote punished the governing Social Democrats of Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho, who has overseen unpopular austerity measures to comply with the terms for Portugal’s €78 billion bailout, negotiated by the previous Socialist administration with international creditors. | The Portuguese voiced their disaffection mostly by shunning the polls in September, raising the abstention rate to a record 47 percent. Those who did vote punished the governing Social Democrats of Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho, who has overseen unpopular austerity measures to comply with the terms for Portugal’s €78 billion bailout, negotiated by the previous Socialist administration with international creditors. |
| Mr. Coelho’s party won just 17 percent of the vote; the Socialists 36 percent. | Mr. Coelho’s party won just 17 percent of the vote; the Socialists 36 percent. |
| Mr. Moreira said he decided to run for mayor after being urged by a loose association of leading Porto personalities, including businessmen and some former politicians. He ran as an outsider. Unable to leverage any party apparatus, he covered by his own estimation about 600 miles in six months by foot, crisscrossing the city in an unorthodox campaign that included posting hundreds of videos on social media websites. | Mr. Moreira said he decided to run for mayor after being urged by a loose association of leading Porto personalities, including businessmen and some former politicians. He ran as an outsider. Unable to leverage any party apparatus, he covered by his own estimation about 600 miles in six months by foot, crisscrossing the city in an unorthodox campaign that included posting hundreds of videos on social media websites. |
| It helped that even before the campaign, Mr. Moreira had become something of a local celebrity by channeling his lifelong passion for F.C. Porto, the local soccer club, into writing a regular newspaper column and appearances on a leading television talk show. | It helped that even before the campaign, Mr. Moreira had become something of a local celebrity by channeling his lifelong passion for F.C. Porto, the local soccer club, into writing a regular newspaper column and appearances on a leading television talk show. |
| “The people in the poorer neighborhoods mainly knew and saw me as a real defender of our club,” Mr. Moreira said. “I have one of the cheapest seats in the stadium and that is where I plan to remain,” he said, pulling out a season membership card as if to prove his bona fides. | “The people in the poorer neighborhoods mainly knew and saw me as a real defender of our club,” Mr. Moreira said. “I have one of the cheapest seats in the stadium and that is where I plan to remain,” he said, pulling out a season membership card as if to prove his bona fides. |
| Twice divorced and a father of two, he attended the German school of Porto, and spent his youth in various countries, including England, Norway, Denmark and Germany. He received a diagnosis of terminal kidney failure at 27, leading to a life-saving transplant from one of his seven siblings. | Twice divorced and a father of two, he attended the German school of Porto, and spent his youth in various countries, including England, Norway, Denmark and Germany. He received a diagnosis of terminal kidney failure at 27, leading to a life-saving transplant from one of his seven siblings. |
| Before this year, Mr. Moreira said he had no real desire to enter in politics, because he had so many other business activities to keep himself busy. But as the economic crisis deepened, he said he was increasingly frustrated at how politicians had failed to explain Portugal’s austerity policies to the public. | Before this year, Mr. Moreira said he had no real desire to enter in politics, because he had so many other business activities to keep himself busy. But as the economic crisis deepened, he said he was increasingly frustrated at how politicians had failed to explain Portugal’s austerity policies to the public. |
| Mr. Moreira said his country needed an austerity program to clean up public finances, “but what has happened in Portugal has been an overdose.” Recent spending cuts and tax increases, he said, “were made blindly rather than properly targeted,” for instance lowering salaries of all civil servants rather than only of those working in particularly inefficient sectors. | Mr. Moreira said his country needed an austerity program to clean up public finances, “but what has happened in Portugal has been an overdose.” Recent spending cuts and tax increases, he said, “were made blindly rather than properly targeted,” for instance lowering salaries of all civil servants rather than only of those working in particularly inefficient sectors. |
| Having no party affiliation, he said, has given him more latitude to speak his own mind, to focus on the needs of his city and greater independence from orders from Lisbon, the capital, where the main parties have their base. | Having no party affiliation, he said, has given him more latitude to speak his own mind, to focus on the needs of his city and greater independence from orders from Lisbon, the capital, where the main parties have their base. |
| In general, he said he backed a stronger European Union. But he deplored the fact that Portugal had suffered from overcentralization since joining the bloc in 1986, with Lisbon party leaders making sure that a disproportionate amount of European subsidies stayed around the capital rather than being spread to other cities. | In general, he said he backed a stronger European Union. But he deplored the fact that Portugal had suffered from overcentralization since joining the bloc in 1986, with Lisbon party leaders making sure that a disproportionate amount of European subsidies stayed around the capital rather than being spread to other cities. |
| A former president of Porto’s chamber of commerce, Mr. Moreira ran on a decidedly local reform agenda, focused on issues like renovating derelict areas of Porto and making sure that money that arrived in Porto stayed in Porto. | A former president of Porto’s chamber of commerce, Mr. Moreira ran on a decidedly local reform agenda, focused on issues like renovating derelict areas of Porto and making sure that money that arrived in Porto stayed in Porto. |
| “The real competition,” he said, “is between cities and not countries.” | “The real competition,” he said, “is between cities and not countries.” |
| But his surprise victory also carried a broader message for Portugal, and perhaps all of Europe, where he says closed party systems induce a general lack of accountability — in the party and the political leadership. He is fond of referring to party members as apparatchiks. | But his surprise victory also carried a broader message for Portugal, and perhaps all of Europe, where he says closed party systems induce a general lack of accountability — in the party and the political leadership. He is fond of referring to party members as apparatchiks. |
| In many European mainstream parties, the leadership selection process takes place behind closed doors, with the appointment then rubber-stamped at a national party congress. Some parties, however, have recently started to switch to a more transparent approach, like the French Socialists, who in 2011 allowed all left-leaning voters to select François Hollande among six Socialist candidates for the French presidency. | In many European mainstream parties, the leadership selection process takes place behind closed doors, with the appointment then rubber-stamped at a national party congress. Some parties, however, have recently started to switch to a more transparent approach, like the French Socialists, who in 2011 allowed all left-leaning voters to select François Hollande among six Socialist candidates for the French presidency. |
| “We don’t have primaries like in the United States,” Mr. Moreira said, “but people certainly no longer accept the idea that a candidate simply gets chosen by an inner party circle.” | “We don’t have primaries like in the United States,” Mr. Moreira said, “but people certainly no longer accept the idea that a candidate simply gets chosen by an inner party circle.” |
| Still, some commentators suggest that Mr. Moreira overstates his independence. In fact, they argue, he owed much of his recent success to feuding within the Social Democrats who controlled Porto’s City Hall for the past 12 years and had trouble agreeing on a replacement candidate for their departing mayor, Rui Rio. | Still, some commentators suggest that Mr. Moreira overstates his independence. In fact, they argue, he owed much of his recent success to feuding within the Social Democrats who controlled Porto’s City Hall for the past 12 years and had trouble agreeing on a replacement candidate for their departing mayor, Rui Rio. |
| The Porto establishment’s endorsement of Mr. Moreira shows “the cynicism and the capacity of an old political oligarchy to adapt to circumstances and to manipulate public perceptions,” said Rui Ramos, a political analyst and history professor at Lisbon University. | The Porto establishment’s endorsement of Mr. Moreira shows “the cynicism and the capacity of an old political oligarchy to adapt to circumstances and to manipulate public perceptions,” said Rui Ramos, a political analyst and history professor at Lisbon University. |
| For his part, Mr. Moreira insisted that “I’m not the result of power play.” | For his part, Mr. Moreira insisted that “I’m not the result of power play.” |
| When asked whether he was instead Portugal’s answer to Michael R. Bloomberg, the billionaire media tycoon who became New York’s mayor, Mr. Moreira laughed and said that “I just wish that I was that rich.” His property and other assets amount to less than 10 million euros, Mr. Moreira said. | When asked whether he was instead Portugal’s answer to Michael R. Bloomberg, the billionaire media tycoon who became New York’s mayor, Mr. Moreira laughed and said that “I just wish that I was that rich.” His property and other assets amount to less than 10 million euros, Mr. Moreira said. |
| Before delivering a speech at his swearing-in last month, shopkeepers came out to embrace him. José Miguel Folhadela, the manager of a men’s clothing shop, said he had voted for Mr. Moreira because “he doesn’t need to make more money but can still relate to ordinary people.” | Before delivering a speech at his swearing-in last month, shopkeepers came out to embrace him. José Miguel Folhadela, the manager of a men’s clothing shop, said he had voted for Mr. Moreira because “he doesn’t need to make more money but can still relate to ordinary people.” |
| “I really hope his independence is an asset,” Mr. Folhadela added, “because other politicians have no integrity.” | “I really hope his independence is an asset,” Mr. Folhadela added, “because other politicians have no integrity.” |
| Mr. Moreira also got a hug from a local soccer legend, Domingos Paciência. | Mr. Moreira also got a hug from a local soccer legend, Domingos Paciência. |
| “I’m obviously in a state of grace,” Mr. Moreira said, “but let see how long it can last.” | “I’m obviously in a state of grace,” Mr. Moreira said, “but let see how long it can last.” |