Portugal - Leadership

Durão Barroso based his successful campaign on the economy and vowed to strengthen it. When his PSD failed to achieve an absolute majority in the 17 March 2002 voting (with 40% of the vote and 105 seats in the Assembly), it formed a coalition with the PP under the leadership of Paulo Portas. The coalition faced a government in financial shambles. In his inaugural speech, Durão Barroso pledged to improve the nation's economy and balance its budget by 2004. He still faces an uphill battle on this front, as Portugal competes with the nations of Eastern Europe for attention from the expanding EU. Durão Barroso has needed to muster all the support he can, within the country and in Europe, to keep the economy functioning.