The center-left Socialist Party in Portugal won the parliamentary majority in this Sunday’s general elections (30), confirming a strong new mandate for Prime Minister António Costa.
Center-right Social Democrats came in second with less than 30% of the vote, according to preliminary results, against about 42% for Socialists.
Far-right Enough has emerged as the third-largest parliamentary force, making a big leap from just one seat in the previous legislature to at least 11.
The result, buoyed by a higher-than-expected turnout despite the coronavirus pandemic, comes as a surprise after the Socialists lost much of their lead in recent opinion polls.
The vote was called in November after former communist and Costa Left Bloc allies joined the right to overturn their minority government’s budget.
The two far-left parties paid the price, losing more than half of their seats, according to exit polls.
After last week’s opinion polls, Costa acknowledged that the Portuguese did not want to give him an absolute majority and said he was willing to make alliances with like-minded parties, which is no longer necessary.
“Absolute majority does not mean absolute power. It does not mean ruling alone. It is an added responsibility and means governing with and for all Portuguese people”, said Costa in his victory speech.
Before the final results came in, Costa said the party had won 117 or 118 seats in the 230-seat parliament, up from 108 won in the 2019 election, and his supporters erupted into boisterous celebrations, singing the old revolutionary anthem “Grandola” and waving flags.
Costa, who came to power in 2015 after the 2011-14 debt crisis, presided over a period of steady economic growth that helped reduce the budget deficit and even achieve a small surplus in 2019, before the pandemic.
Still, Portugal remains the poorest country in Western Europe and depends on EU pandemic recovery funds.
Economist Filipe Garcia, chief adviser to Financial Markets Information in Porto, said investors are likely to appreciate Costa’s strong new term, given the government’s record cut in the budget deficit.
“Furthermore, socialists will not need to compromise (with other parties), which guarantees stability and a clear course of action. The biggest challenge will be to promote potential growth”, he said.
A stable government would bode well for Portugal’s access to a €16.6 billion ($18.7 billion) package of aid for the EU’s pandemic recovery and its success in channeling funds into projects to boost the economy. economic growth.
With more than a tenth of the estimated 10 million Portuguese in isolation due to Covid-19, the government allowed infected people to vote in person, and election officials donned protective clothing in the afternoon to welcome them.
The turnout was on track to hit the record low turnout of 49% in 2019.
As in many European countries, infections have increased, although vaccination has kept deaths and hospitalizations lower than in previous waves.
Source: CNN Brasil
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