Portugal | Center-right opposition wins legislative elections, partial results show

(Lisbon) The center-right opposition won a very narrow victory in Sunday’s legislative elections in Portugal ahead of the Socialists in power for eight years, but the country is clearly shifting to the right after a new push by the populists, according to partial results.

Three months before the European elections, this election precipitated by the resignation of outgoing Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who was not seeking a new mandate, confirms that the far right is progressing across the Old Continent, as Italian voters had already shown or Dutch.

Portugal was one of the few countries in Europe to be ruled by the left when Mr. Costa, 62, threw in the towel after being named in an influence peddling investigation at the beginning of November.

While only the four seats in foreign constituencies had not yet been allocated, the center-right Democratic Alliance (AD) led by Luis Montenegro, 51, won 29.49% of the votes and 79 deputies out of a total of 230.

The Socialist Party (PS), which obtained an absolute majority in 2022 with a score of 41.4%, now comes in second place with 28.66% of the votes and 77 seats.

This result therefore does not allow the winner to form an absolute majority of at least 116 elected officials alone, nor even in coalition with a small liberal party which came in fourth position with 5% of the votes and eight seats.

“Relative majority”

Mr. Montenegro still claimed an “unavoidable” victory in Sunday’s legislative elections, saying he wanted to govern with a “relative majority” in Parliament and reaffirming his refusal to lead the country with the support of the far right.

The populist Chega (Enough) party led by André Ventura, 41, more than doubled its score by obtaining 18% of the vote, compared to 7.2% during the previous legislative elections in January 2022.

In terms of number of seats, the anti-system formation founded in 2019 quadrupled its representation from 12 to 48 deputies, thus strengthening its rank as the third political force in the country, following an election also marked by high participation. rise.

“Chega asked to become the centerpiece of the political system and achieved this objective,” welcomed Mr. Ventura after welcoming “an absolutely historic result” and saying he was “available” to “give a stable government to the Portugal” within “a strong majority on the right”.

This new breakthrough for the far right comes as Portugal next month commemorates the 50th^e anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, which ended the fascist dictatorship and 13 years of colonial wars.

In his meteoric rise, this law professor and fervent Catholic, who became known as a polemicist on television sets devoted to football, was driven by a speech against corruption, immigration and minorities.

“Minimal difference”

Beyond the suspicions which caused the resignation of Antonio Costa, Mr. Ventura also insisted during the campaign on the increase in immigration to Portugal, which saw its foreign population double in the space of five years.

After the departure of Mr. Costa, the PS regrouped around Pedro Nuno Santos, a 46-year-old former minister from its left wing.

“Despite the minimal difference between us and the AD, […] we did not win the elections and we will go into opposition,” he admitted.

More ambiguously, he indicated that his party would not obstruct the formation of a center-right minority government, but left the threat of voting against its next budget.

Despite the consolidation of public finances, growth above the European average and unemployment at its lowest, the record of the outgoing socialist government was tarnished by inflation, dysfunctions in hospitals and schools, then by a major crisis housing.

During the campaign, center-right opposition leader Luis Montenegro promised to cut taxes to boost growth, while saying he wanted to improve public services.