Nationwide local elections begin in Portugal

The Socialist Party is defending its eight-month record in government as political parties opened their campaigns Tuesday for Portugal's local elections next month.

Recent opinion polls have indicated the center-left Socialists, elected in a landslide last February, have maintained their popularity over their main rivals, the center-right Social Democratic Party.

However, the government has introduced a raft of austerity measures and contested economic reforms, which have brought widespread protests and could cost it votes, reports the AP.