Voters in Portugal headed to the polls Sunday for the nation’s third general election in as many years, with Prime Minister Luis Montenegro’s center-right Democratic Alliance (AD) poised to lead but likely falling short of an outright majority.
Final opinion polls showed the AD ahead of the Socialist Party (PS) and expected to improve on its 2024 vote share, yet still short of the 116 seats needed in the 230-seat parliament to govern alone.
The far-right Chega party appeared set to hold onto third place, which could make it a potential kingmaker, but Montenegro has ruled out any coalition with the populist group.
This election, in an EU member state of roughly 10 million people, unfolds as Europe faces mounting global trade tensions and seeks to bolster its strategic defenses.
At his final rally in Lisbon Friday, Montenegro called on voters to grant him a stronger mandate to help Portugal navigate the “geopolitical turmoil” ahead.
“We have to do our part at home and we have to be part of the solutions abroad, in Europe and in the world. And for that, we need a strong government,” he said.
After casting his ballot in the northern town of Espinho, Montenegro expressed confidence the election would result in greater “stability.”
Maria Lopes, a 63-year-old local council employee, said she was not so optimistic.
“It’s going to be difficult,” she said as she voted in Almada, south of Lisbon. “Unfortunately, I don’t think things are going to change.”
Turnout at 4 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. GMT) stood at 48.3%, down from 52% in 2024, the Interior Ministry reported.
Sunday’s election was called after Montenegro, a 52-year-old lawyer, lost a parliamentary vote of confidence in March.
He had proposed the confidence vote himself following accusations of conflicts of interest stemming from his consultancy business. The company had several clients that hold government contracts.
Montenegro has denied wrongdoing, saying he has not been involved in the running of the consultancy.
But Socialist leader Pedro Nuno Santos, a 48-year-old economist, accused Montenegro of engineering the election “to avoid explaining himself” to a parliamentary inquiry.
Surveys, however, suggest many voters are not troubled by the case.
“It hasn’t really had the dimension that the opposition would have hoped for in the campaign,” said University of Lisbon political analyst Felipa Raimundo.
Montenegro has cut income taxes for young people, raised pensions and toughened immigration policy, vowing to end what he called a “wide-open doors” policy.
Under a previous Socialist government, Portugal became one of Europe’s most open countries for immigrants.
Between 2017 and 2024, the number of foreigners living in the country quadrupled, reaching about 15% of the total population.
Montenegro’s government announced during the campaign the expulsion of some 18,000 irregular immigrants, leading to accusations it was pandering to far-right voters.
Tiago Manso, a 33-year-old economist, applauded the government’s moves to cut taxes for youths and restrict immigration as he voted for Montenegro’s Democratic Alliance in Lisbon.
The country’s struggling public services were unable to cope with the influx, he told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“If the country doesn’t create new schools, new hospitals, it can’t keep its doors open to everyone,” he added.
Like other far-right parties that have gained ground across Europe, Chega has tapped into hostility to immigration and concerns over crime.
But Chega has also faced embarrassment, including allegations that one of its lawmakers repeatedly stole luggage from airport carousels and sold the contents online.
Last week, its leader, 42-year-old former football commentator Andre Ventura, twice had to leave rallies to be rushed to hospital suffering stomach pains.
Speaking to reporters after casting his ballot, Ventura insisted he felt better. Anyone “who’s upset, who wants change,” should go and vote, he said.
