PORTUGAL: Scares' Shaky Political Seesaw

He leads a minority government in an economically depressed country. In the space of three years Portugal has overthrown an entrenched dictatorship, absorbed a military-inspired revolution and narrowly escaped a Communist takeover. But affable, astute Mario Scares, 52, remains the champion player of his country's seesaw political game. Since his election as Premier a year ago last month, the Socialist leader has cleverly played off Communists against centrists, centrists against conservatives, confident that all sides have an interest in seeing his democratically elected government succeed. Otherwise, he explains, "there would be...

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