Portugal's president invited Luis Montenegro, whose center-right Democratic Alliance (AD) won the March 10 parliamentary elections by a small margin, to form a minority government after eight years of socialist rule, the Portuguese presidency said in a statement. Thursday (21).
The AD, which fell far short of an absolute majority, said it is prepared to govern alone, rejecting negotiating a coalition proposed by the far-right Chega party.
Chega has emerged as a key party after quadrupling its parliamentary representation – unprecedented for a far-right party since the fall of a fascist dictatorship 50 years ago.
An AD government will depend on fragmented agreements in Parliament with Chega or the left to pass legislation, which makes it potentially unstable.
The widely expected appointment of conservative president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa came shortly after midnight on Thursday (21) (local time), after the remaining ballots from abroad were counted by the electoral commission, giving Chega two additional seats in the Parliament, while the AD and the Socialists added just one each.
In total, the AD won 80 seats in the 230-seat Parliament, which is due to return next week, followed by the socialists with 78 seats and Chega, which was founded just five years ago, with 50.
The result highlights the political tilt towards right-wing populism and the reduction of socialist governments across Europe, which should result in gains for far-right parties in June's European elections.
Montenegro, 51, has repeatedly said he would not make a deal with Chega, reiterating on Wednesday that the AD was prepared to govern on its own.
Chega leader and former TV sports commentator, André Ventura, demanded a role in the government in exchange for support.
The government can be sworn in in the first week of April and, within 10 days after that date, it must present its program to Parliament, which will be automatically approved, unless Parliament holds a vote to reject it.
Analysts expect a DA government to be allowed to take power and see the 2025 Budget as its first test of survival later this year. A rejected Budget could lead to a new election.
Chega de Ventura has threatened to vote against the project and says the AD would be responsible for any instability if it continued to ignore its party, but it has also signaled support for at least some initial measures proposed by Montenegro.
These initiatives include higher salaries and benefits for healthcare professionals, police officers and teachers, as well as lower income taxes.
Socialist leader Pedro Nuno Santos said on Tuesday that it would be “practically impossible” for his party to support the AD Budget for 2025, but that he was open to negotiating measures to help the health, education and security sectors.
Source: CNN Brasil
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