This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/10/portuguese-mps-force-minority-government-to-quit-over-austerity

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Portuguese MPs force minority government to quit over austerity Portuguese MPs force minority government to quit over austerity
(35 minutes later)
Portuguese MPs have forced a minority centre-right government to resign after rejecting its austerity policies less than two weeks after it was sworn in.Portuguese MPs have forced a minority centre-right government to resign after rejecting its austerity policies less than two weeks after it was sworn in.
The coalition of the prime minister, Pedro Passos Coelho, had emerged as the largest party in a general election on 4 October but lost its outright majority in a public backlash against austerity measures adopted following a €78bn bailout in 2011.The coalition of the prime minister, Pedro Passos Coelho, had emerged as the largest party in a general election on 4 October but lost its outright majority in a public backlash against austerity measures adopted following a €78bn bailout in 2011.
The vote to bring it down follows the moderate Socialist party forming an unprecedented alliance with the Communists and their allies, giving the grouping 122 seats out of 230 in Portugal’s parliament. The vote to bring it down follows the moderate Socialist party forming an unprecedented alliance with the Communists and their Left Bloc allies, giving the grouping 122 seats out of 230 in Portugal’s parliament.
The Socialist party’s internal political committee announced late on Sunday that it had recommended its MPs support a motion to take down the government. Socialist leader Antonio Costa is now expected to become prime minister in coming weeks. “The taboo has ended, the wall has been broken,” he said after the vote. “This is a new political framework, the old majority cannot pretend to be what it stopped being.”
Party leader Antonio Costa is now expected to become prime minister in coming weeks. The agreement between the three parties to take down Passos Coelho’s government comes despite deep ideological differences between them.
Outgoing prime minister, Passos Coelho had warned ahead of the vote that the Socialist-led bloc’s policies would “ruin Portugal”. Outgoing prime minister, Passos Coelho had warned ahead of the vote that the Socialist-led bloc’s policies would “ruin Portugal”. He lost the vote 123-107 after an MP from an animal rights party joined the leftwing parties.
His second government is the shortest since Portugal returned to democracy in 1974.His second government is the shortest since Portugal returned to democracy in 1974.
The finance minister, Maria Luis Albuquerque, warned failure to cut the budget deficit in line with Lisbon’s EU commitments could provoke a new debt crisis and need for another bailout. “We don’t need to imagine the consequences, it’s enough to look at the recent experience of Greece and the cost of their attempt to end austerity ... More recession, more poverty, more joblessness and more dependence on European and IMF lenders.”