Portugal's politics and elections

[Kingpoleon]

How factional is PS? I understand Costa is from the left of the party, but does he have any internal enemies or different power bases to keep happy?

Not as much factional as the PSD but a bit yes. You can divide the PS into 2 factions: the moderate wing and left wing where the "Young Turks" from the PS proliferate. The moderate wing are old fashion Socialists who support more talks with the PSD and don't see with good eyes the recent approach to BE and CDU. The left faction doesn't like the PSD one bit and refuse major compromises with them. They much prefer a more "leftwing" PS which can be supported especially by the BE, but also CDU.

Believe it or not but Costa wasn't always from the left faction. He comes from a generation of PS politicians formed during the Guterres government (1995-2002), who were much more willing to negotiate with the PSD rather than BE or CDU. He was very moderate and even liked by many PSD politicians but the circumstances changed in 2015, and the PS desperate need to be in power plus the fear of CDU and BE of less power in unions and in the public sector made Costa to go leftwing.

At the beginning many people in the PS were angry at him for negotiating a government with BE and CDU, Francisco Assis was one of the most vocal, but as the economy grew, the deficit continued controlled and the PS rise in the polls, most criticism has vanished and Costa doesn't have much opposition within his party. Now, do many like what his doing? No, but criticising him right now isn't very wise.

Mike88, who would you say is the highest profile person in the PS's moderate wing?

It's hard to pin Costa down, yet even as he seems to be moving back to the moderate wing in governance, I wouldn't quite call him a moderate. So, I mean besides him. Perhaps Fernando Medina?