Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, received a rating of A-. The decision to raise interest rates again by 25 basis points was already expected by the markets, not disappointing them given the acceleration of inflation caused by the Iran war. The new wave of price pressure is already spreading across various sectors of the economy, requiring a fight. The next step remains an unknown, but the uncertainty reinforces the ECB president's hawkish tone.
Luís Montenegro, Portugal's prime minister, received a rating of B-. The political debate promised to be dominated by the Luís Neves case, forcing Montenegro to absorb the wear of the controversy that Chega tried to turn into the centre of discussion. However, André Ventura ended up being contained. The motion of censure was dodged with the IRS relief, previously set aside, and the bonus for pensioners. A well-guarded trump card through a cheque of 800 million euros for the Portuguese.
André Ventura, president of Chega, received a rating of C. The party's motion of censure, with the pre-announced rejection, amounted to sterile political firecrackers, signalling a party that does not leave its bubble and forgets people's real lives. The motion ended up being emptied with the announcements of tax relief and bonuses for pensions. However, it served to test forces for the 2027 State Budget battle, sticking the Socialists to the Democratic Alliance, with PS enabling the Government.
Friedrich Merz, Germany's chancellor, faces pressure after the radical right's victory in Saxony-Anhalt. Confronted with the collapse of his successful economic model, he promises to better explain the reforms after catastrophic results. Members of his party are considering supporting the AfD to form the first post-war far-right government in Germany, which represents an electoral earthquake that, according to the article, should not be ignored.
