In Observador, political analysts Rui Ramos and João Marques de Almeida paint a stark metaphorical picture of Portugal’s mainstream left and far-left: both are like swimmers in a pool on the verge of drowning, frantically splashing about in a desperate bid to avoid sinking. This imagery encapsulates their analyses of the Socialist Party (PS) and the radical left parties (PCP and BE), suggesting that both factions are fighting against a tide of political change that threatens to engulf them.
The Socialist Party’s Desperate Tread Water Tactics
Rui Ramos’s analysis of the center-left Partido Socialista (PS) argues that the ruling party is struggling to stay afloat by narrowing the national political debate to one issue: whether the center-right will ally with Chega, a far-right populist party. According to Ramos, the PS harps on the specter of an understanding with Chega as a distraction, an attempt to grab a life preserver amid turbulent waters. This tactic conveniently diverts attention from what Ramos describes as a “grande viragem” (major turnaround) in the country’s mood and the outright failure and rejection of left-wing policies by the public. In essence, rather than addressing the broad discontent with its governance, the PS is flailing by pointing at the far-right – a move likened to a swimmer obsessing over a distant threat instead of confronting their immediate struggle to keep their head above water.
The Radical Left’s Disconnect and Decline
Similarly, João Marques de Almeida’s commentary on the far-left parties – principally the Partido Comunista Português (PCP) and the Bloco de Esquerda (BE) – describes a political camp in danger of going under. He contends that these radical left groups have ceased speaking to the majority of Portuguese people, choosing instead to talk only to their own ideological circle and to focus on “winning” debates in television studios. This insular approach is portrayed as desperate thrashing: the PCP and BE appear more concerned with scoring rhetorical points among themselves than with understanding or addressing the real concerns of ordinary citizens. In Marques de Almeida’s view, the far-left has essentially given up on comprehending the Portuguese electorate, a fatal mistake that leaves them politically adrift and gasping for relevance. Their ideological echo chamber acts like an enclosed pool – safe in appearance, yet cut off from the ocean of voter sentiment where they are steadily losing buoyancy.
A Left on the Brink of Political Drowning
Both analyses converge on a sobering conclusion: Portugal’s left and far-left in 2025 are barely keeping their heads above water. The PS is clinging to the strategy of demonizing a far-right alliance as a last resort to stay afloat, while the radical left flounders by ignoring the public and retreating into insular debates. This shared metaphor of a pool-side near-drowning underscores the academics’ agreement that the left’s traditional tactics and narratives are failing. In academic terms, the metaphor highlights a crisis of political adaptation – a failure to swim with the changing currents of public opinion. By wholeheartedly supporting the assessments of Ramos and Marques de Almeida, we acknowledge that unless the left finds a way to reconnect with voters and address the country’s real “waters” of discontent, it risks sinking beneath the waves of Portugal’s shifting political tides.
Sources: Rui Ramos, Observador (18 Jul. 2025); João Marques de Almeida, Observador (18 Jul. 2025)