Francisca, a 19-year-old Communications Science student, finds herself undecided about whom to vote for in the upcoming early legislative elections this Sunday. “I am still considering my options. Perhaps attending the session will help clarify things,” she stated, referencing a housing discussion organized by the BE (Bloco de Esquerda) at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto, part of the electoral campaign.
Amidst a youthful audience, traditionally fertile ground for the Iniciativa Liberal, Mariana Mortágua delivered sharp critiques of “neoliberalism,” which she claimed has “individualized” mindsets increasingly isolated by social media, and described the housing crisis as a “guillotine over everyone’s head.”
“When the conversation turns to youth migration and when liberals argue that young people’s problem is the IRS they pay on a thousand-euro salary when rent costs 800, the IRS might as well be zero,” argued the BE representative.
Mariana Mortágua contended that “the salary would still be a thousand euros and the rent would continue to be 800, so perhaps the problem is not the IRS, but rather the high cost of rent and low wages.”
“Maybe the issue is that the rent is at a Berlin level while the salary is at a Portugal level, and perhaps that is why young people emigrate to Berlin,” she suggested.
On another occasion, when asked by a student about the abandonment of certain regions of the country, specifically the district of Viseu, Mortágua directed another jab at liberals.
“We need to look at the territory with foresight and planning. The State must have resources. It is not enough to dismantle the State, claim that everything is excess, and then be very sad because the country is dominated by real estate and mass tourism. It was the market that created this: abandonment in some areas, speculation in others. Yet they claim that liberals understand the economy,” she provocatively remarked.
Pedro Machado, a 20-year-old also present at the café terrace, remains undecided about his vote. However, he knows one thing: he does not “identify much” with the BE.
“I haven’t read all the party programs yet and I’m still deciding which party offers the most value, considering tactical voting and which program resonates more with me. Of course, it’s preferable to have a stable four-year government rather than constant elections with uncertainty,” he admitted.
The BE’s national coordinator was approached by several young people wanting to take photos with her, and others who reacted very enthusiastically to her presence at the faculty.
This was the case with Paulo Plácido, a 19-year-old of Roma ethnicity, who referred to Mariana Mortágua as “queen bee,” “our mother,” and “our queen.”
“In Portugal, she is the only one who defends us. When it comes to minorities, often subjected to hate speech and inflammation, she addresses these issues and ensures we have a voice in parliament,” praised the student.
In contrast, Paulo criticized Chega for its positions regarding the Roma community, which has actively demonstrated during the campaign at events organized by the party led by André Ventura.
