The outgoing Prime Minister and head of the central social democratic party Luis Montenegro Gestures while addressing his supporters following the general elections of Portugal, in Lisbon on Monday.
Armando Franca / AP
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tilting legend
Armando Franca / AP
LISBONE – The third general election of Portugal in three years has failed to produce the result which could break the worst fate of political instability for decades in the country of the European Union of 10.6 million people.
Sunday’s vote delivered another minority government for the central-right democratic alliance, which will be at the mercy of the opposition parties. The significant increase in support for the right -right populist party Chega (enough) adds more uncertainty.
Why was there a first election?
The Democratic Alliance, led by the Social Democratic Party, lost a vote of confidence in Parliament in March while the opposition legislators joined it. This sparked an election, which was due in 2028.
The vote of confidence was launched by a political storm around conflicts of potential interests in the commercial relations of the Family lawyer of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro. The Montenegro, which is about to become Prime Minister again, denied any reprehensible act.
What was the result of the Sunday ballot?
The democratic alliance has captured at least 89 seats in the National Assembly with 230 places. Chega has collected the same number of seats as the socialist socialists – 58 – and could still claim second place when four remaining seats decided by voters abroad are allocated in the coming days.
Chega participated in his first election six years ago when he won a seat, and put disaffection with the most moderate traditional parts. Its success has shaken the traditional balance of powers in a trend already observed elsewhere in Europe with parties such as the National Rally of France, the brothers of Italy and the alternative for Germany, who are now in the political current.
Over the past 50 years, the Social Democrats and the Center-Gauche Socialist Party have alternated to power in Portugal. The socialists, on the other hand, are without leader after Pedro Nuno Santos said that he was down following the worst party’s result since 1987.
The small parts obtained the other seats.
What are the problems?
Corruption scandals have darkened Portuguese policy in recent years, helping to feed the rise of chega.
Chega owes a large part of his success to his requests for a stricter immigration policy that has resonated with the voters.
Portugal has had a sharp increase in immigration. In 2018, there were less than half a million legal immigrants in the country, according to government statistics. At the beginning of this year, there were more than 1.5 million, many of which Brazilian and Asian working in tourism and agriculture. Thousands of others do not have the appropriate documents in Portugal.
A housing crisis also sparked a debate. The prices and rents of arrow housing for 10 years, partly due to an influx of strangers in white collar which increased the prices.
The problem is aggravated by Portugal being one of the poorest countries in Western Europe. The average monthly salary of last year was around 1,200 euros ($ 1,340) before the tax, according to the Statistics Agency. The government’s minimum wage this year is 870 euros ($ 974) per month before tax.
What’s going on now?
The head of state of Portugal summoned the country’s political parties for consultations.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who has no executive power, had consulted parties before inviting the winner of the elections to form a government, in accordance with the Constitution.