António "Tó" Silva Moreira
47 years old · Santo Tirso, Greater Porto industrial belt
Machine operator at textile factory
Persona: Northern Industrial Worker
António "Tó" Silva Moreira
Quick Profile
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | António Silva Moreira (goes by "Tó") |
| Age | 47 |
| Gender | Male |
| Location | Santo Tirso, Greater Porto industrial belt |
| Occupation | Machine operator at textile factory |
| Education | 9th grade + vocational training |
| Housing | Owns small apartment (inherited from parents, no mortgage) |
| Family | Married to Fátima (46, supermarket worker), one daughter (19, studying nursing) |
| Voter Status | Portuguese citizen - can vote |
Background Narrative
Tó started at the factory at 18, right out of vocational school. Back then, it employed 800 people; now it's down to 200. He's survived three waves of layoffs by being good at his job and keeping his head down. The machines have changed—computer-controlled now—and at 47, he had to retrain twice. His back hurts, his hearing's going from decades of factory noise, but he's got 12 years until retirement and no other options.
His father worked at the same factory. His mother worked the line at a shoe factory until it closed in 2008. This is what the Silva Moreiras do—they work with their hands, they don't complain, they get by. But Tó watches the news and feels the ground shifting. Chinese competition, automation, young people who don't want factory work, politicians who seem to think Portugal's future is "tech startups and tourism."
His daughter Catarina is the first in the family to attend university. He's proud, terrified of her debt, and secretly relieved she won't end up on a factory floor. But what will happen to people like him?
Economic Situation
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Income level | Lower-middle (€900/month net + Fátima's €800) |
| Income source | Factory wages (stable but stagnant) |
| Financial stress | Moderate |
| Housing cost burden | Low (no mortgage, only utilities/condomínio) |
| Economic trajectory | Stable but precarious—one layoff away from trouble |
Values Profile (Schwartz Framework)
Higher-Order Values
| Dimension | Rating | Expression |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Transcendence | 3 | Loyal to coworkers, family; limited to in-group |
| Self-Enhancement | 2 | Not ambitious; wants dignity, not power |
| Openness to Change | 2 | Adapts when forced; prefers stability |
| Conservation | 4 | Security paramount; respects tradition, hierarchy |
Specific Values (Top 3 priorities)
- Security: Job stability, healthcare, pension—the basics
- Conformity: Follows rules, respects authority, doesn't rock boat
- Benevolence: Family comes first; loyal to close circle
Moral Politics Frame (Lakoff)
Primary frame: Strict Father with working-class modifications
Expression: Tó believes in hard work and self-reliance, but he's also seen how the system is stacked against workers. He respects bosses who earn respect, not those who inherit it. He thinks unions had their place but have lost power. He's suspicious of both business elites and government bureaucrats.
Information Ecosystem
| Source Type | Specific Sources | Trust Level |
|---|---|---|
| TV | SIC, CMTV, TVI | Medium-High |
| Online | Facebook, YouTube (sports, music) | Medium |
| Social Media | Facebook mainly, WhatsApp | Medium |
| O Jogo (sports newspaper) | High for sports | |
| Community | Coworkers, café regulars, family | Very High |
Media consumption pattern: TV news while eating; Facebook scrolling in evenings. Gets a lot of opinions from coworker conversations during breaks. Sports is his main leisure interest—FC Porto devotee.
Political Profile
Voting History
| Election | Vote | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Legislative | AD (PSD) | "PS was done, someone new" |
| 2022 Legislative | PSD | "Always been PSD" |
| 2021 Presidential | Marcelo | "Seemed decent" |
| Historical pattern | PSD family loyalty, but weakening |
Political Identity
- Left-Right self-placement: 5/10 (center, confused)
- Party identification: Weakening PSD; considers Chega but hesitates
- Political engagement: Low—votes, rarely more
2026 Presidential Inclination
- Current leaning: Undecided (Gouveia e Melo or Marques Mendes; Ventura possible)
- Certainty: Undecided
- Key deciding factors: Who understands workers; who's competent; not too extreme
Top Concerns (Ranked)
- Job security: "Every year they talk about more layoffs. How long until I'm next?"
- Cost of living: "Prices go up, wages don't. The math doesn't work anymore."
- Daughter's future: "She's studying, but will there be jobs? Will she leave?"
- Healthcare access: "The SNS is collapsing. What happens when I need it?"
- Pensions: "Will there be anything left when I retire? I've paid in 30 years."
Hopes
For himself:
"I want to make it to retirement with my health intact. Get my pension, watch Catarina succeed, maybe finally have time to enjoy life a little."
For Portugal:
"I hope we can still make things here. That industry doesn't completely die. That work—real work—still means something."
For his daughter:
"I want her to have choices I never had. But I hope one of those choices is staying in Portugal, not feeling forced to leave."
Fears
Personal fears:
"Losing my job at 47 and being too old to find another one, too young to retire. Becoming a burden."
Fears for Portugal:
"That we become a country that doesn't produce anything. Just serving tourists and watching others make what we used to make."
Deepest fear (often unspoken):
"That all my years of hard work were for nothing. That people like me are being phased out, and nobody cares."
"In Their Own Voice"
How he'd describe Portugal today:
"A country that forgot how it got here. My father's generation built this with their hands. Now we're supposed to disappear quietly while they talk about innovation and digital this and that. What about us?"
What he'd say to someone who disagrees with him politically:
"I'm not political. I just want to work, provide for my family, and not be treated like I'm disposable. If you've got better ideas, show me how they help someone like me."
His message to politicians:
"Remember that Portugal isn't just offices and computers. Some of us still get our hands dirty. We matter too. Our jobs matter. Stop pretending the future doesn't need us."
Scenario Response Predictions
| Candidate | Predicted Response | Key Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Ventura | Mixed | Speaks to frustration, but seems too chaotic; might be swayed |
| Gouveia e Melo | Positive | Competence, discipline, not a typical politician |
| Marques Mendes | Moderately Positive | Familiar PSD territory, stable |
| Seguro | Neutral | PS hasn't helped workers; but not hostile |
| Catarina Martins | Neutral | Workers' rights rhetoric, but seems impractical |
| Cotrim Figueiredo | Negative | "For the bosses, not workers" |
| António Filipe | Mixed | Communist nostalgia in family; but outdated |
Notes for Scenario Development
- The "forgotten worker" archetype—industry decline anxiety
- Could swing to Chega if economic anxiety intensifies
- Daughter represents hope and generational change
- Union history in family but unions weakened
- Could interact with: factory owner/manager, younger workers, immigrants in same sector
- In "Day in the Future" vignettes: factory floor scenes, café conversations, watching daughter graduate