Mariana Santos
Top Concerns
Housing
"I'm 29 and can't imagine ever owning a home. I might never have children because I can't afford space for them."
Emigration pressure
"I don't want to leave, but staying feels like choosing poverty."
Career stagnation
"Portuguese salaries don't match European costs anymore."
Climate change
"We're burning every summer and nobody seems to care."
Political polarization
"Seeing Chega grow scares me—what's happening to us?"
Background
Mariana grew up in Coimbra, daughter of two teachers. She was the first in her extended family to pursue a creative career rather than something "practical." After her master's degree, she moved to Lisbon in 2019, drawn by the tech scene and cultural life. She's talented—her portfolio has won recognition—but five years later, she's still sharing an apartment and watching her savings evaporate into rent.
Her salary of €1,400/month net seemed good when she started. Now, with rent consuming 40% of it and Lisbon prices rising relentlessly, she calculates obsessively. She's turned down a job offer in Berlin (€3,200/month) twice—once because her grandmother was ill, once because she genuinely loves Portugal. But the third offer might be harder to refuse.
She watches friends leave, one by one. Her WhatsApp groups are full of Portuguese people in Amsterdam, Dublin, Berlin. They send photos of apartments they rent alone. She tries not to feel bitter.
Economic Situation
Income level
Lower middle (€1,400 net/month)
Income source
Full-time employment, startup
Financial stress
High
Housing burden
40%
Trajectory
Stagnant despite career growth
In Their Own Voice
"It's a beautiful country eating itself. We have everything—culture, weather, talent—except the ability to let our own people thrive. Lisbon is becoming a theme park for foreigners while we perform Portugal for tips."
— On Portugal
"Stop acting like the housing crisis is some mystery. You know what's happening. Stop protecting landlords and investors and start protecting the people who actually live here. We're not asking for handouts—we're asking for a fair chance."
— To Politicians
Hopes
For themselves
herself
"I want to feel like staying in Portugal is a real choice, not a sacrifice. I want my own apartment, maybe a dog, eventually a family. I want my work to matter."
future generations
"I hope my nieces don't have to make the same calculation I'm making right now."
Personal fears
"I'm terrified of waking up at 40, still in a shared apartment, watching everyone I love live abroad. Of becoming bitter."
What she'd say to someone who disagrees with her politically
"I get that you're frustrated too. We probably want a lot of the same things—security, dignity, a future. I just think blaming immigrants is easier than fixing the actual problems. Can we talk about housing policy instead?"
Her message to politicians
"Stop acting like the housing crisis is some mystery. You know what's happening. Stop protecting landlords and investors and start protecting the people who actually live here. We're not asking for handouts—we're asking for a fair chance."
For Portugal
Portugal
"I hope we can become a country where young people don't have to choose between their home and their future. Where creativity and talent are rewarded, not just property ownership."
Fears for Portugal
"I fear we're becoming a country for tourists and retirees, where Portuguese people are the service staff in their own capital."
How she'd describe Portugal today
"It's a beautiful country eating itself. We have everything—culture, weather, talent—except the ability to let our own people thrive. Lisbon is becoming a theme park for foreigners while we perform Portugal for tips."
Fears
For themselves
Personal fears
"I'm terrified of waking up at 40, still in a shared apartment, watching everyone I love live abroad. Of becoming bitter."
Her message to politicians
"Stop acting like the housing crisis is some mystery. You know what's happening. Stop protecting landlords and investors and start protecting the people who actually live here. We're not asking for handouts—we're asking for a fair chance."
For Portugal
Fears for Portugal
"I fear we're becoming a country for tourists and retirees, where Portuguese people are the service staff in their own capital."
How she'd describe Portugal today
"It's a beautiful country eating itself. We have everything—culture, weather, talent—except the ability to let our own people thrive. Lisbon is becoming a theme park for foreigners while we perform Portugal for tips."
What she'd say to someone who disagrees with her politically
"I get that you're frustrated too. We probably want a lot of the same things—security, dignity, a future. I just think blaming immigrants is easier than fixing the actual problems. Can we talk about housing policy instead?"
Candidate Reactions
How this person would react to each candidate winning
Independent ("My party is Portugal")
Henrique Gouveia e Melo
Key trigger: Competence appeals, but unsure on values alignment
PS (center-left)
António José Seguro
Key trigger: Values align, but is he effective?
Bloco de Esquerda (left)
Catarina Martins
Key trigger: Values strongly align, but can she win?
PSD/CDS backing (center-right)
Luís Marques Mendes
Key trigger: Establishment figure, uninspiring, better than Ventura
Iniciativa Liberal
João Cotrim Figueiredo
Key trigger: Some appeal (modernity), but too market-focused on housing
PCP (Communist Party)
António Filipe
Key trigger: Respects principles, seems anachronistic
Chega (far-right)
André Ventura
Key trigger: Sees him as dangerous, divisive, anti-everything she believes
Featured in Conversations
Information Sources
Where they get their information
community
High TrustFriends, coworkers, design community
online
Medium-HighPúblico, Observador, international design blogs
social media
Medium TrustInstagram, LinkedIn, some Twitter/X
tv
Medium TrustRarely watches; occasional RTP clips
Voting History
Past electoral choices and patterns
Left-leaning, pragmatic
PS
"The least bad option for housing"
BE
"Aligned with my values"
Marcelo
"Everyone did, he seemed fine"