Politics Luís Montenegro remains Prime Minister of Portugal
Luís Montenegro remains head of government in Portugal. The conservative politician was reappointed Prime Minister by Head of State Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. A week and a half ago, his alliance Democratic Alliance (AD) won the early parliamentary elections by a large margin, but missed out on an absolute majority again. Montenegro will still have to make do with a minority government.
29.05.2025, 20:17
SDA
Montenegro will soon face its first test. He will then have to present his government program to the new parliament, which will hold its constituent session on 3 or 5 June. If it is rejected, the popular vacation destination faces the threat of a blockade and possibly another new election, which, according to the constitution, cannot take place for at least a year.
There have already been three early elections since 2022. The most recent had become necessary because Montenegro had clearly lost a vote of confidence that he himself had called in March. The 52-year-old lawyer had come under pressure from the opposition due to the opaque business dealings of a family company. Since then, Portugal has only had a caretaker government with limited powers.
Observers warn of an uncertain future
However, the accusations did not harm his alliance in the new elections on May 18. The conservatives even increased their number of MPs from 80 to 91, although an absolute majority of at least 116 seats remained a long way off. The right-wing populists of Chega came second for the first time with 60 seats, ahead of the Socialist Party PS with 58.
Montenegro had recently continued to rule out cooperation with the right-wing populists. The firewall seems to be as stable on the Tagus River as it is in Germany. A "grand coalition" between conservatives and socialists had also been ruled out due to irreconcilable differences. Observers warn of an uncertain future.
