There is this story on (in) dispensability which teaches us that any person is as indispendable as the hole that is left in the water after you put your fist. You can splash all you want and water may turmoil, but with time it will be leveled back where it was with no sign of what was in there.
Mr Paulo Portas is possibly the most experienced politician active as such at present within Portugal, and I do not mean that in a sarcastic manner. Within the current government he must be the principal defender of less state, less expenses and thus tax, less involvement and thus more room for society.
I am not sure for how long he has been presiding his political party but probably his biggest weakness is not having been able to find a sucessor. Many people will admit it would not be easy to follow in the footsteps of someone with a surviror's instinct, manoeuvring between formal political procedures while pursuing an idea, a vision for a country. I suspect he is very much in charge with little effort inside his own party. There is no question that his way of speech by far outranks the ability of the prime minister, which is particularly handy in times where communciation between a government and a population is not at its best but very necessary.
So when Mr Portas decides to submit his resignation as minister (and in this goverment it does not really matter this is for foreign affairs) he will have had a fair idea of the effects on national politics and financial markets.
This event, formalised by a letter of resignation which has remained declined by the prime minister and president, will be something Mr Portas will be subletly referring to throughout the remaing time this government persists and very outspokenly when we do get to elections, each time policial action or inaction in the months ahead do not align with what is currently being negotiated and will be very roughly and vaguely announced tomorrow to the general public.
And he will be doing so because he and some other government officials, notably the ex-minister of finance, already have a fairly realistic projection of what lies ahead on their protected desktops and have realized that over the next 6 months a population and creditors slowly and gradually will be forced to terms that the present foreign financial support programme will not be enough and Mr Portas simply is not the type that wishes to be associated to a losing team, more than others.
So we will probably see some positive impulses in policies in the months ahead and oppostion parties and civil demonstrators will continue reminding us of this week's events in a constant wave of stay or go. I'll admit that this week was original and almost entertaining worthy of a couple of lines in political history, but do hope that the present government stays on long enough to give the necessary time to real and thought alternate movements from within society to see through some real changes, the first of which can be a straighforward meaningful cut in government size and waisted time on handling mere political scenarios, egos and speeches.
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