Portugal's conservatives win election, but right-wing to dominate in parliament
Luis Montenegro, leader of the Potrugal's Democratic Alliance (AD) (photo: twitter.com/LMontenegroPSD)
According to the results of the parliamentary elections in Portugal, which took place on Sunday, the center-right Democratic Alliance (AD) has won the victory with a minimal lead of several hundred votes over the Socialist Party (PS), Reuters reports.
The leader of the conservatives, Luis Montenegro, has already declared victory for the alliance, but it remains unclear whether he will be able to govern without the support of the far-right political force Chega, with which he has again refused to negotiate.
Chega leader Andre Ventura told reporters Sunday's vote clearly showed that the Portuguese wanted a government of the AD with Chega. He earlier said Montenegro would be responsible for any political instability if he continued to refuse to negotiate.
The parliamentary representation of Chega has grown by more than four times to at least 48 lawmakers in the 230-seat legislative body, giving the united right-wing a majority.
The Democratic Alliance received a total of at least 77 seats in the 230-seat parliament, surpassing the PS with 74 seats. The far-right Chega party achieved the third result with 46 seats. After the final count, four seats still need to be allocated, but the right-wing will dominate in the new legislative body.
Earlier, the main rival of Montenegro, Pedro Nuno Santos, conceded defeat after his left-wing Socialist Party (PS), which has been in power since 2015, took second place with a slight margin. He ruled out support for the AD platform, which envisages a general reduction in taxes.
"The AD won the election," Montenegro told a crowd of ecstatic supporters in the early hours of Monday, adding that it was crucial for parties in the new parliament to act responsibly and comply with the wish of the Portuguese people.
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa still has to officially invite the leader of the AD to form a government.
Extraordinary elections in Portugal
Last November, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa decided to dissolve parliament and call early elections for March 10, 2024, following the resignation of Prime Minister António Costa.
Before that, the Portuguese Prime Minister resigned due to investigations into possible abuses, active and passive corruption, and his involvement in the business of lithium and hydrogen production.
