Portugal Comeback

Throughout Portugal's stormy succession of 16 governments in the dozen years since it became a democracy, he was his country's best-known political figure. He served as Prime Minister in three governments, leading the last through a grueling and unpopular period of economic austerity. This past October Mario Soares, 61, seemed washed up. His Socialist Party had just been defeated in parliamentary elections. When he announced his candidacy for President, polls showed his popular support at a rock-bottom 8%. Unfazed, Soares persisted.

Last week his determination paid off. The veteran Socialist leader came from behind to win narrowly the second and final round of balloting for the presidency. The final tally: 51% of the vote for Soares compared with almost 49% for right-wing Candidate Diogo Freitas do Amaral, who had scored 46% in the first round and had seemed in a good position to win. In Lisbon, thousands of supporters gathered outside Soares' campaign headquarters to celebrate his dramatic comeback. Visibly moved, the President-elect told them, "For the first time in 60 years, Portugal has a civilian President of the Republic."

Soares began the final round of the campaign trailing by 21 points. Faced with almost certain defeat, the fragmented left mobilized behind the Socialist candidate. Communist Party Leader Alvaro Cunhal reluctantly endorsed Soares as "the lesser of two evils." A hard-liner, Cunhal instructed rank-and-file party members "to close your eyes and vote for Soares." The Communist vote, which accounted for some 18% of the total, proved to be decisive. Although he had not sought Communist support, Freitas do Amaral charged during the campaign that Cunhal's endorsement raised the danger of "uniting the democratic and nondemocratic left."

Freitas do Amaral was strongly backed by popular Prime Minister Anibal Cavaco Silva, 46, the Social Democratic leader who led a minority government after breaking his party's alliance with Soares last June and winning parliamentary elections on Oct. 26. Cavaco Silva was gambling that victory by Freitas do Amaral would strengthen his minority government. After last week's balloting, the Prime Minister was conciliatory. Said he: "I intend to continue to consult with the President. I will not create problems." Soares responded in kind, noting that "the President is the guarantor, the moderator, not the governor." Indeed, his new role seemed tailor made for the durable Socialist leader who has long been more of a consensus builder than an ideologue.