In brief
In the recent snap elections, Portugal's center-right coalition led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro emerged victorious, albeit without a majority, amid a significant rise for the hard-right Chega party. Political scientists highlight Chega's evolution from a protest movement to a major political force, contrasting sharply with Portugal's historical aversion to hard-right politics.
The Democratic Alliance coalition secured about 32% of the votes as of Monday morning, while the center-left Socialist Party and Chega were close competitors, with approximately 23% and 22% of the votes, respectively. Though the coalition maintains a lead, the remaining overseas ballots may influence the final standing for the second position. Notably, despite Chega's gains, Montenegro's coalition has dismissed any alliance with them, signaling potential instability in the nation's governance.Political analysts identify Chega, translating to "enough" in Portuguese, as the first hard-right party to break through in Portugal since the fall of the Salazar dictatorship in 1974. This past election saw Chega's vote share increase from 18% to firm up its status as a formidable force, largely by leveraging public sentiments regarding immigration and economic challenges, while pledging to enforce stricter immigration policies and bolster law and order. Following a no-confidence vote ousting Montenegro's government in March, this snap election marks the third in three years, raising questions surrounding the effectiveness of the current political landscape in Portugal.Tiago Carrasco contributed reporting from Lisbon. Emma Bubola is a Times reporter based in Rome.
