PORTUGUESE EURODEPUTY ALONE IN RENDITION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LISBON 000153 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PO SUBJECT: PORTUGUESE EURODEPUTY ALONE IN RENDITION INVESTIGATION Classified By: Dana M. Brown, Pol-Econ Officer, Embassy Lisbon Reason 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) At a January 11 lunch with Pol/Econ Counselor and poloff, Socialist Party (PS) International Relations Secretary Jose Lello and PS senior staffer Paulo Pisco SIPDIS discussed Ana Gomes' vocal campaign on rendition flights, internal party dynamics, and the European Socialist movement status. Lello expressed a passionate dislike of Gomes, but said the PS has no intention of trying to oust her. Gomes is isolated, both within her party and within the European Parliament, according to Lello. The mainline PS politicians, including Prime Minister Socrates, are strongly pro-American, Lello asserted, and the party has been successful in controlling the influence of party leftists who are dubious of too close a relationship with the United States. Finally, Lello offered his impressions of Segolene Royal, who attended the European Socialist Conference in the northern city of Porto in December. After saying he had met "the next President of France," he went on to add "if she keeps her mouth shut." End summary. -------------- Gomes and the Rendition Quest -------------- ¶2. (C) Ana Gomes, the Portuguese Socialist Eurodeputy who has been vocal in investigating an alleged cover up of CIA flights and other supposed US misdeeds in Portugal does not represent the PS, according to Lello. He stressed that, although the PS does not support Gomes' campaign, it would be counterproductive to expel her from the party ranks. Lello has criticized Gomes repeatedly in the local media but believes that more drastic action would only make her a martyr. He commented that the former career diplomat had managed to hold high-ranking party positions, particularly the Ambassadorship in Indonesia, thanks in large part to her gender. (Comment: This statement contradicts other knowledgeable interlocutors, who said Gomes was highly regarded as Ambassador. End comment.) ¶3. (C) Lello remarked that despite public statements to the contrary, Gomes "hates the United States." While she is going to great lengths to find evidence of rendition flights through Portugal, she has been unable to locate any evidence to support her accusations. At the same time, her claims have captured the local media's attention and succeeded in raising Portugal's profile on this issue in the European Parliament. Many PS members had underestimated how dangerous Gomes could be, according to Lello. He noted that his own relationship with her was well-established and cordial but said she was isolated within the party. Lello believes that Gomes will continue to garner media attention, as the press loves confrontation and the whiff of scandal, but her accusations, in the absence of evidence that any illegalities had occurred, will have little traction with the Portuguese public. -------------- Keeping the Socialists Together -------------- ¶4. (C) Lello, who is strongly pro-American, made several derisive comments about the leftist members of his party. He dismissed them as "Alegre-ists," a reference to PS elder statesman and current parliamentarian Manuel Alegre, who ran for president in 2006 against the party's candidate Mario Soares. Lello said most members of the PS believe a strong relationship with the United States ought to be a cornerstone of Portuguese foreign policy, but the leftist wing of the party did not share that view. Socrates had been able to co-opt a number of those individuals by giving them key positions in his government, and in the parliament, including Alberto Martins, leader of the PS caucus in the National Assembly who was sitting at the next table during our lunch. Better to have them inside the tent than outside, Lello commented. -------------- Segolene Royal -------------- ¶5. (C) The European Socialist Party (PES) convention took place in Porto, Portugal in early December last year and showcased French presidential candidate Segolene Royal as one of the European Socialist's new generation. Royal's public comments focused on a range of labor advocacy and social programs but also touched on Europe's role in international LISBON 00000153 002 OF 002 conflicts. Lello remarked that she had clearly been the star of the convention and joked that she would be elected if she made up for her lack of foreign policy experience by "keeping her mouth shut." -------------- Gomes Stands Alone for Now -------------- ¶6. (C) Comment: Despite daily media coverage on Gomes, we share Lello's view that the public is discounting her public campaign. The PS is working to limit her impact by distancing itself from Gomes and her allegations. However, if Gomes were to find evidence of a GOP cover-up involving rendition flights through Portuguese airspace, the public would quickly start paying more attention to her. The GOP in general, and most notably FM Amado, is staking its credibility on being able to move past this unscathed. End comment. Hoffman