The latest publicity campaign by Portugal’s Left Bloc political party has left Algarve hoteliers fuming.
They say the hoardings, in German and translated into Portuguese, are “perplexing” German tourists who have come to the Algarve to have a good time.
The hoardings have taken advantage of recent criticism of the coalition government (see: http://portugalresident.com/government-refutes-criticisms-that-it-behaved-%E2%80%9Cmore-german-than-germany%E2%80%9D-over-greek-debt-extension) and depict German chancellor Angela Merkel with Portuguese prime minister Pedro Passos Coelho and the phrase “a government more German than the German one”.
“It is a strange attitude, and is causing perplexity, surprise and discontent, not to say anything more, among German tourists who do not understand why hoardings have appeared throughout the tourist developments they frequent – namely resorts and golf courses – criticising their government and their country,” Elidérico Viegas, president of hoteliers’ association AHETA, told Lusa news agency.
Viegas went so far as to suggest Bloco de Esquerda has sited the hoardings “deliberately” – and says the move that is causing “generalised discontent” among his associates.
However, BE refute the criticisms, and says it has no intention whatsoever of removing the hoardings.
In a democracy, a source for the party told Lusa, “it is not up to any businessman or businesspeople to accept or refuse any kind of legal political propaganda”.
Thus, for now, the 10 hoardings pasted up throughout the Algarve “at roundabouts and national roads, in places of high visibility” remain in situ – and whether they put German holidaymakers off our country or not, BE appears unconcerned.
By NATASHA DONN [email protected]
