Lusa News: Portugal’s Rightward Shift & Trump Top 2024 Events
Lusa agency journalists have cast their ballots for the defining moments of 2024, identifying Portugal’s seismic shift to the right and Donald Trump’s historic political comeback as the year’s standout events.
Portugal’s New Political Era
Nationally, the election of Luís Montenegro as Prime Minister was voted the top event of the year. Montenegro led the PSD/CDS coalition to victory in the legislative elections, ending a long period of Socialist rule and signaling a decisive change in the country’s political cycle. Consequently, Montenegro was named National Personality of the Year with 29 votes.
Other notable mentions in the national category included the death of Odair Moniz and the subsequent civil unrest in Lisbon, which garnered 24 votes, and the ongoing crises within the health sector. In the category of national figures, Montenegro was followed closely by Olympic cycling champions Iuri Leitão and Rui Oliveira, while former Prime Minister António Costa—recently appointed President of the European Council—placed third.
The Global Impact of the U.S. Election
On the international stage, 38 journalists selected the U.S. presidential election as the event of the year. Donald Trump’s return to the White House four years after his defeat to Joe Biden saw him named International Personality of the Year with 41 votes.
The escalation of conflict in the Middle East across Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon was ranked as the second most significant global event. Other international figures highlighted by the newsroom included the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and Venezuelan opposition figure Corina Machado.
Crisis in the Lusophone World
For the Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) world, the focus shifted heavily toward Mozambique. Journalists overwhelmingly chose the post-election crisis in Mozambique as the top regional event, receiving 60 votes. The country has been gripped by violence and contested election results that have led to dozens of deaths since October.
Venâncio Mondlane, the presidential candidate who has become the face of the protests against the ruling party’s declared victory, was named Lusophone Personality of the Year. Other significant regional mentions included the devastating floods in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and Cape Verdean boxer David Pina, who made history by winning his country’s first Olympic medal.
Maintaining a Newsroom Tradition
The annual selection process, which has been a Lusa tradition since 2016, involved 76 journalists voting between November 19 and 26. The shortlist was curated through discussions between news management and editors to reflect the most impactful stories across politics, social issues, and sports.
Lusa news agency is scheduled to publish comprehensive reports detailing all the chosen events and personalities on December 7.
Image: Pexels – Rosemary Ketchum
