Portuguese Voters Head to Polls in Presidential Race
Eleven candidates vie to replace outgoing conservative President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive five-year term after capturing nearly 60% support in 2021.
The field includes Andre Ventura of the far-right Chega party, who pulled nearly 12% in the previous presidential race. Additional major candidates are Luis Marques Mendes representing the governing center-right Social Democratic Party (PSD), opposition Socialist Party nominee Antonio Jose Seguro, Liberal Initiative party's Joao Cotrim de Figueiredo, and independent Henrique Gouveia e Melo.
Wednesday polling data from media indicates a Feb. 8 runoff is virtually inevitable, with Ventura and Seguro positioned to emerge from the initial vote.
The survey places Ventura ahead at approximately 24% voter support, with Seguro narrowly behind at 23%, while Figueiredo garners 19%.
Portugal has conducted a presidential runoff just once previously—in 1986, when former Socialist Prime Minister Mario Soares reversed his first-round loss to defeat Freitas do Amaral.
The race unfolds amid contentious national debates surrounding wealth disparity, inadequate compensation, acute housing scarcity, immigrant rights limitations, and workforce regulations enacted by Prime Minister Luis Montenegro's conservative administration.
Chega, established seven years ago under Ventura's leadership, claimed main opposition status for the first time following emergency parliamentary elections last May.
Despite Ventura's projected first-round advantage, political observers suggest achieving an absolute majority in a two-candidate runoff presents substantial obstacles.
Approximately 11 million registered voters are eligible to participate, with roughly 1.6 million residing outside Portugal's borders.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
