The vote was marked by the breakthrough of the Chega far-right party, who will enter Parliament, a first since the fall of the dictatorship in 1974.
Le Monde with AFP
The Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa has significantly won the legislative elections in Portugal, Sunday, January 30, a vote marked by a breakthrough of the extreme right and which does not totally ride the spectrum of political instability.
By Mr. Costa – released in October 2021 by his former radical left allies, which provoked the convening of these elections -, does not seem to be able to conquer the absolute majority in Parliament, as in the last legislative laws From 2019. The former Mayor of Lisbon, aged 60 and in power since 2015, so will have no choice but to continue to govern in the minority by seeking support within the Assembly of the Republic.
According to the projections published at the release of the polls by three national television, the Socialist Party (PS) has arrived in the lead with 37% to 42.5% of the vote and from 100 to 118 deputies on a total of 230. could therefore improve its 2019 score (36.3% and 108 elected). The official results will be known later the evening.
“There is clearly a victory and a strengthening of the PS (…). This means that Portuguese want [this party to govern and want tranquility in their lives,” said Antonio Costa at public television RTP . Overall, Parliament seems to be left to stay left, the left block totaling three to ten seats and the communist-green coalition between three and eight.
“People understood our message”, according to the extreme right
While he hoped to be able to create the surprise, the main opposition party, the Social Democratic Party (PSD, Right) of Rui Rio, arrives in second place with 27% to 35% of the vote, and 75 to 95 elected.
This ballot has also been marked by a breakthrough of the Chega far-right party (enough), which, with six to fourteen elected and up to 8.5% of the votes, could be propelled to the rank of third force of the country, while there was only one member in the outgoing Parliament.
Portugal had long been an exception in Europe because since the end of the dictatorship, in 1974, and until the last vote of 2019, this country of ten million people had no extreme right party represented at Parliament. “People understood our message”, rejoiced the number one of Chega, André Ventura, who tried “bad for the country that Antonio Costa continues to be prime minister”.
Negotiations possible to adopt the budget
Arrived in power Seven years ago thanks to a forged historical alliance with the radical left (left and communist block), Antonio Costa continues to boast of having “turned the” budget “austerity page implemented by the right, under the supervision of the “Troika” – European Central Bank-European Monetary Fund-European Union (EU) -, in the midst of the debt crisis.
But, while his minority government also had “turn the page of the pandemic” through record vaccine coverage and the European Post-Covid-19 revival plan, it was stopped in its momentum by its former allies, who rejected his budget project for 2022 and thus caused the convening of this anticipated ballot.
The scenario of a new union of the left, as wide as that of 2015, seems unlikely to the extent that Mr. Costa had castigated the “irresponsibility” of his ex-partners to provoke a political crisis while Portugal must implement its EU-financed 16 billion euro investment plan.
Before his victory, Antonio Costa had therefore entrusted he preferred to continue to govern alone, negotiating Parliament’s support before each vote or by partnering with small parties. Finally, the Prime Minister could also turn to his Rui Rio rival and negotiate with him the abstention of the PSD during the vote of the budget in order to be able to adopt it as soon as possible.