Portugal’s centre-right coalition, led by outgoing Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, has won the parliamentary elections, according to results reported by public broadcaster RTP with 99.2% of votes counted.
The Democratic Alliance (AD), headed by Montenegro, secured 32.1 percent of the vote, while the socialist opposition party garnered 23.4%. In third place was the far-right party Chega, claiming 22.6% of the votes.
AD won 86 out of the 230 seats in parliament, significantly short of the 116 needed for an absolute majority.
Montenegro, a 52-year-old lawyer, has consistently refused to govern with Chega’s support. To bolster the coalition, AD might partner with the liberal party IL, which earned 5.53% of the vote, translating to nine seats.
Following the defeat, the socialist opposition leader announced his resignation. "I will call for internal elections in which I will not be a candidate," Pedro Nuno Santos told his supporters.
Montenegro’s minority government collapsed in March over allegations of possible corruption scandals and conflicts of interest involving the prime minister’s family business. These elections were the third since 2022 in Portugal.
