Portugal’s center-right Democratic Alliance (AD) won Sunday’s general election, its leader Luis Montenegro said, though it was unclear if he could govern without the support from far-right Chega, with whom he again refused to negotiate.
Chega’s parliamentary representation more than quadrupled to at least 48 lawmakers in the 230-seat legislature, giving the combined right a majority.
The result underscores a political tilt to the far right across Europe. Portugal, which only returned to democracy after the fall of a fascist dictatorship 50 years ago, had long been considered immune to the rise of right-wing populism across the continent, which is expected to result in gains for far-right parties in European elections in June.
Earlier, Montenegro’s main rival, Pedro Nuno Santos, conceded defeat after his left-leaning Socialist Party (PS), in power since 2015, came in second by a razor-thin margin. He ruled out supporting the AD’s platform which includes across-the-board tax cuts.
“The AD won the election,” Montenegro told a crowd of ecstatic supporters in the early hours on Monday, adding that it was crucial for parties in the new parliament to act responsibly and “comply with the wish of the Portuguese people”.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa still has to formally invite the AD leader to form a government, which Montenegro said he expected to happen.
While reiterating his election promise not to rely on the right-wing populists for support to govern, he expressed hope the PS and Chega “do not form a negative alliance to prevent the government that the Portuguese wanted”.
The AD and its conservative allies in the insular Madeira region won a total of at least 79 seats, ahead of the PS’s 77.
Four seats were yet to be attributed after the final count of ballots from abroad.
(Source: Reuters)
