Goan-origin Portuguese PM Costa bows out
The centreright Democratic Alliance emerged as the largest party with 79 seats, while Costa’s Socialists finished second with 77; the farright Chega party came third with 18% vote; Luis Montenegro, who has staked claim to form the next government, says he won’t join hands with the farright
Acentreright combination of the Democratic Alliance (PSD) and allies (AD) staked a claim to form a minority government after winning the largest number of seats —79 — in Sunday’s snap Portuguese general election, which yielded a hung parliament.
The AD is narrowly ahead of the Goanorigin Prime Minister Antonio Costa’s outgoing Socialist Party (PS), which clocked 77 seats. Both formations were tied at 28.67% in terms of voter support.
The AD is 37 seats short of an absolute majority in a House of 230. They can, perhaps, reach out to eight centrist Liberal Initiative lawmakers and nine ‘others’. PSD leader Luis Montenegro maintained that the Portuguese people had spoken for “a change of government and of policies”. He is now waiting for President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to invite him to assume office. Historically, the balance of power in the 230member House has alternated between the PS and the PSD.
For the first time in half a century the farright in Portuguese politics, in the fiveyearold incarnation of the Chega (Enough) party, emerged as a strong force mustering 48 seats and attracting 18% of the votes to finish third. This could
compel a PSDled government to seek Chega’s support to pass legislation.
Mr. Montenegro had insisted he would not turn to Chega for parliamentary business, let alone grant it the status of kingmaker,
describing its leader Andre Ventura as “often xenophobic, racist, populist and excessively demagogic”.
Mr. Ventura, formerly a trainee Catholic priest, catapulted into public attention as a football commentator on television before venturing into politics.
As PSD activists celebrated with ‘Victory’ signs for cameras at their party headquarters, Mr. Ventura remarked: “The Portuguese clearly said they want a twoparty government: Chega and the Democratic Alliance.”
Four communists and greens and five Left Bloc MPs are potentially PS backers. But even if it cobbled together a coalition to remain in power, it would not retain Mr. Costa, who has been Prime Minister for eight years — the past three and a half months as caretaker.
Mr. Costa, 62, who undertook a state visit to India in 2017, which included a journey to his ancestral village of Rua Abade Faria, Margao, Goa, resigned in November after law enforcement authorities arrested his Chief of Staff and personal adviser together with naming two of his Cabinet Ministers as suspects over alleged irregularities in awarding state contracts.
Mr. Costa’s handling of the COVID pandemic and the economy in what is Western Europe’s poorest nation drew appreciation. Unemployment dipped and Portugal’s GDP growth in 2023 reached 2.3% compared to the European Union (EU) average of 0.7%.
(Ashis Ray is a Londonbased journalist)