Populists hope to make impact in Portugal

The official two-week campaign period before Portugal's early general election began yesterday, with the country's two moderate mainstream parties once again expected to collect the most votes but with the expected rise of a populist party potentially adding momentum to Europe's drift to the right.

The centre-left Socialist Party and centre-right Social Democratic Party have alternated in power for decades.

But they are unsure of how much support they might need from smaller rival parties for the parliamentary votes needed to form a governmentafterthemarch 10 vote.

Corruption scandals have cast a shadow over the ballot. They have also fed publicdisenchantmentwiththe country's political class as Portugal prepares to celebrate 50 years of democracy, following the Carnation Revolution that toppled a rightist dictatorship on April 25 1974.

The election is being held after a Socialist government collapsedlastnovemberfollowing a corruption investigation.

That case brought a police search of prime minister Antonio Costa's official residence and the arrest of his chief of staff.

Mr Costa has not been accused of any crime.

Also in recent weeks, a Lisbon court decided that a former Socialist prime ministershouldstandtrialforcorruption.

Prosecutors allege that Jose Socrates, prime minister between 2005-2011, pocketed around €34 million during his time in power from corruption, fraud and money laundering.

The Social Democratic Party has also been tainted by corruption allegations.

During the recent weeks of unofficial campaigning, a corruption investigation in Portugal's Madeira Islands triggered the resignation of two prominent Social Democrat officials.