LISBON - Voters in Portugal went to the polls on Sunday for the country’s third general election in three years, with Prime Minister Luis Montenegro tipped to win, yet without a sufficient majority. Final opinion polls indicate his centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) is ahead of the Socialist Party (PS) and is likely to pick up more votes than in the last election in 2024. But it is forecast to once again fall short of the 116 seats needed in Portugal’s 230-member parliament to obtain a ruling majority. The far-right Chega party is on track to finish third once more, making it a potential kingmaker, although Montenegro has refused to govern with the populist movement.
The election in the European Union member state of around 10 million comes at a time of tensions for the bloc.
It is grappling with global trade tensions and seeking to beef up its defences following US President Donald Trump’s warnings that the United States may not protect its NATO allies.
At a final rally in Lisbon on Friday, Montenegro urged voters to give him a stronger mandate so Portugal can better face this “geopolitical turmoil”.
“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 he cast his ballot in the northern town of Espinho, Montenegro said he was “very confident” the election would result in greater “stability”.
But Maria Lopes, a 63-year-old local council employee, said she was not optimistic that this ballot would produce a different outcome.
“It’s going to be difficult. Unfortunately I don’t think things are going to change,” she said as she voted in Almada, a city south of Lisbon known for its stunning views of the Portuguese capital.
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.
Socialist leader Pedro Nuno Santos, a 48-year-old economist, has accused Montenegro of engineering the election “to avoid explaining himself” about the firm to a parliamentary enquiry.
But only one in five voters feel the case is “very important” and 29 percent think it has no importance at all, according to a final pre-election opinion poll carried out by Lisbon’s Catholic University.
Portuguese voters “have a certain tolerance” for such conflict-of-interest cases, said University of Lisbon political scientist Felipa Raimundo.
“It hasn’t really had the dimension that the opposition would have hoped for in the campaign,” she added.
Montenegro has cut income taxes for young people, raised pensions and toughened immigration policy, vowing to put an end to 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 Portugal quadrupled, reaching about 15 percent 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.
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.
Its leader, 42-year-old former football commentator Andre Ventura, abruptly left two rallies due to stomach pain during the final week of the campaign.
He was rushed to hospital both days but made a surprise appearance at the party’s final event on Friday.
Gracinda Barreiros, a 66-year-old lawyer, said she hoped Sunday’s vote would deliver a majority government capable of ending what she called “a period of passivity” and take action to improve living standards in Portugal.
“The Portuguese people really deserve it,” she said after casting her ballot at a Lisbon school.