Portugal’s ruling center-right alliance wins election, but far-right makes record gains

Portugal’s ruling center-right Democratic Alliance (AD) won a snap parliamentary election on Sunday but again fell short of the majority needed to end a long period of instability as the far-right Chega gained a record share of the vote.

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said the election result was a vote of confidence in his party, but with votes from abroad still to be counted Chega could supplant the center-left Socialists as the main opposition party, ending almost 40 years of dominance by the country’s two major parties.

Continued political instability could delay structural reforms and major projects in Portugal, including lithium mining in the north, and potentially compromise the efficient deployment of EU funds and the long-delayed privatization of TAP airline.

The election, the third in as many years, was called one year into an AD minority government’s term after Montenegro failed to win a vote of confidence in March when the opposition questioned his integrity over dealings of his family’s consultancy firm. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Electoral data showed the AD making gains, winning 89 seats in the 230-seat parliament, nine more than in the previous election.

Montenegro, who has ruled out any deal with Chega, said he expected to form a minority government.

“The Portuguese don’t want any more snap elections, they want a four-year legislature,” Montenegro said as his supporters chanted “Let Luis work,” his campaign slogan.

Chega gained 8 seats for a total of 58, winning a record 22.6% of the vote, while voters appeared to punish the Socialists for their role in bringing down Montenegro’s government.

They fell to 58 seats from 78, prompting Socialist leader Pedro Nuno Santos to say he would step down.

Chega leader Andre Ventura, who was hospitalized during the campaign after collapsing on stage with an esophageal spasm, said his party had “swept the left block off the map in style.”

“There are moments in life during which God says, just stop a little bit,” he told a crowd of jubilant supporters. “This time I am not going to listen. I am not going to stop until I become the prime minister of Portugal.”