Portugal's Democratic Alliance Claims Snap Election Victory Amidst Turmoil
In a crucial snap election, Portugal's Democratic Alliance emerged victorious but still lacks a majority. The far-right Chega made significant gains, likely becoming the main opposition. The fallout continues with Socialist leader Pedro Nuno Santos stepping down after a significant loss in seats.
Portugal's centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) secured victory in Sunday's snap parliamentary election, yet failed to achieve the majority necessary to stabilize the political landscape. Meanwhile, the far-right Chega party marked a historic high in voter support.
Prime Minister Luis Montenegro interpreted the results as a reaffirmation of public confidence in AD. However, with absentee votes pending, Chega may surpass the long-standing centre-left Socialists as the primary opposition. This shift threatens to end the duopoly shared by Portugal's major parties over the past four decades.
The election, propelled by Montenegro's failed confidence vote in March, concluded with AD obtaining 89 seats out of 230. Concurrently, the Socialists were penalized for their role in destabilizing the government, dropping from 78 to 58 seats, which led to the resignation of Socialist leader Pedro Nuno Santos.
(With inputs from agencies.)
Google News