In Portugal, the ruling right-wing coalition leads in legislative elections.

The **Portuguese Prime Minister** of the moderate right, **Luis Montenegro**, won the anticipated legislative elections on Sunday, May 18. However, similar to last year, he did not obtain a **sufficient majority** to ensure the **political stability** of the Iberian country.

The **extreme right** represented by the **Chega Party** (“Enough”), continues to progress compared to the last ballot and reached, for the first time, **20% of the votes**, closely following the **Socialist opposition**.

According to a survey from the ballot box broadcast by RTP public television, the outgoing government camp appears to have obtained between **29% and 34% of the vote**, compared to **21% to 26% for the Socialist Party** and **20% to 24% for Chega**.

Mr. Montenegro, a 52-year-old **lawyer** who has consistently refused to govern with the support of Chega, hoped to form a wider majority by negotiating the rallying of the **Liberal Initiative Training**, which was positioned in fourth with **4% to 7% of the votes**.

Partial official results will be announced later in the evening.

In terms of seats, the outgoing coalition is expected to have won **85 to 96 seats** out of a total of **230**, remaining below the threshold of **116 elected officials**, which signifies an **absolute majority**.

Even with potential support from the Liberal party, Mr. Montenegro may find himself in a precarious position again, caught between the Socialist Party led by **Pedro Nuno Santos**, a 48-year-old economist, and the far right under **André Ventura**, a former seminarian and lawyer known for his appearance as a football commentator.

The Socialist Party, a Great Loser

Facing forced resignation last March amidst **conflict of interest** allegations, the head of government seems to have successfully relied on **voter sentiment** for political survival. However, these gains appear insufficient to alter the **balance of power** within the assembly.

He may have suffered politically from initiating these elections himself to escape scrutiny from a parliamentary inquiry regarding his family’s advisory company. “No one has ever been as transparent as me” he asserted during his final campaign, while his rivals accused him of **mixing politics and business** during his tenure.

The **PS** (Socialist Party), narrowly defeated in 2024 after **eight years** in power, stands as the significant loser of the night, possibly finding itself overtaken by Chega as the primary opposition party.

In the former parliament, the power coalition held only a **two-seat advantage** over the socialists.

Chega’s Unprecedented Growth

Over the past year, Mr. Montenegro’s administration has implemented several measures aimed at improving purchasing power, including **increased pensions**, **minimum wage hikes**, and acceding to demands from various **civil servants**, notably teachers, doctors, and police.

Moreover, his administration has tightened immigration policies compared to the more liberal approach of the previous **Socialist government** under **Antonio Costa**.

Immigration has become a critical topic in political discussions, especially as the number of foreigners residing in Portugal has quadrupled since 2017, now constituting around **15% of the population** out of a total of **10 million residents**. Since its establishment in 2019, **Chega** has seen remarkable growth, capturing **18% of the vote** last March and increasing their seats from twelve to fifty.

André Ventura, Chega’s **president**, faced distractions during his campaign due to on-camera incidents but presented a stronger front during voting.

To capitalize on the Prime Minister’s missteps and the influx of migrant workers from South Asia, Ventura intensified traditional **populist rhetoric** against political corruption and immigration.