Politics Presidential election in Portugal: run-off vote necessary - shift to the right
Portugal must choose its president in a run-off election on February 8. In Sunday's election, Antonio José Seguro from the social democrat-oriented Socialist Party (PS) came first with a good 31 percent, according to the electoral authority CNE. The leader of the up-and-coming right-wing populists, André Ventura, achieved another success and came second. After more than 99 percent of all constituencies had been counted, the 43-year-old received 23.5 percent of the vote. As none of the eleven candidates won an absolute majority, a run-off election will be necessary.
19.01.2026, 03:12
19.01.2026, 03:13
SDA
However, Ventura is considered to have little chance of succeeding the conservative incumbent Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (77), who was not allowed to run again after two five-year terms in office. The new president is due to take office on March 9.
The head of state has a relatively large amount of power in the EU country. The president can veto laws as well as dissolve parliament and call new elections. The popular and popular Rebelo de Sousa even did the latter twice in his second term of office, namely in the case of corruption allegations against the socialist Prime Minister António Costa in November 2023 and against the conservative Montenegro in March last year.
Prestige success for right-wing populists
The good result in the battle to succeed Rebelo de Sousa underpins the rapid rise of the right-wing populists in Portugal. Just six years after it was founded, Ventura's Chega (Enough is enough) party became the second strongest force in the parliament in Lisbon in May last year, behind the conservative alliance of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.
At the time, the law professor, author and former sports commentator, who is referred to by the media as "Hurricane" and repeatedly incites hatred against minorities, rejoiced that they had "killed the two-party system that had prevailed for 50 years" and would soon form the government.
For the first time since 1986, a second round will be necessary in the election of the head of state in Portugal. In the meantime, Ventura is hardly expected to win. The reason: more than 60 percent of respondents said in the polls that they would definitely not vote for the right-wing populist in a run-off. However, the media spoke of another prestigious victory for the up-and-coming politician.
It was the eleventh presidential election since the Carnation Revolution of 1974, and the eleven candidates represent a record number of candidates for the highest office in the country.
