Populist right-wing party looks to make gains as Portugal votes

Voters are going to the polls in Portugal's general election, with mainstream moderates trying to keep a populist party at bay.

The election, with 10.8 million registered voters, is set against a backdrop of corruption and economic hardship that have eroded faith in moderate mainstream parties and could push a significant number of voters into the arms of a radical right populist party.

A slew of recent corruption scandals has tarnished the two parties that have alternated in power for decades – the centre-left Socialist Party and the centreright Social Democratic Party, which is running with two small allies in a coalition it calls Democratic Alliance. Those traditional parties are still expected to collect most of the votes.

Public frustration with “politics as usual” had already been percolating before the outcries over corruption. Low wages and a high cost of living – worsened last year by surges in inflation and interest rates – coupled with a housing crisis and failings in public healthcare contributed to the disgruntlement.

That discontent has been further stirred up by Chega (Enough), a populist party that could potentially gain the most from the current public mood.

Chega is widely expected to be the third most popular party in a political shift to the right that has already been seen elsewhere in Europe. Chega could even end up in the role of kingmaker if a bigger party needs the support of smaller rivals to form a government.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, largely a figurehead but whose formal consent is needed for a party to take power, urged people to vote because uncertain times in world affairs threaten the country's wellbeing. In the last election in 2022, turnout was 51 per cent.

In a televised address to the nation on Saturday night, Mr Rebelo de Sousa cited the unpredictable outcome of elections later this year for the European Parliament and in the United States, as well as the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East, as possibly bringing more economic difficulties. He said: “It is at grievous times like this that voting becomes more important.”