Exit polls have shown that Portugal’s ruling centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) is in position to win the majority of the seats, which could cause even more political unrest.
After the opposition questioned his honesty over the dealings of his family’s consulting firm, the minority government’s election on Sunday, which was the third in as many years, was called one year into the minority government’s term.
Montenegro has denied any wrongdoing, and most opinion polls revealed that voters have rejected criticism from the opposition.
Following a decade of fragile governments, the election was also dominated by issues like immigration and housing. And the only one of those with a parliamentary majority, which disintegrated last year, halfway through its term.
According to exit polls released by the three main television stations, Montenegro’s AD received between 29 and 35 percent of the votes, with no parliamentary majority, as it did in the previous election in March 2024.
Irene Medeiros, 77, told Reuters that the “best candidate must win” but that she feared there would be more uncertainty ahead.
The centre-left Socialist Party (PS), Montenegro’s main rival, received between 19.4% and 26% of the vote, which is nearly equal to the far-right Chega party’s 19.5% to 25.5 percent share, which is higher than the 18% it won in 2024, which is higher than the 18% it received in the same survey. Serbia has resisted entering any agreements with Chega.
With that figure, the DA might have 84 to 96 seats, which is below the 116 required to have a majority in Portugal’s 230-seat parliament. To become majority-friendly, it might form a minority government or form alliances with smaller parties.
By midnight (23:00 GMT), the most official results are anticipated.
The Social Democrats, who lead the DA, and the PS, who alternate in power, have ruled Portuguese politics for the past 50 years.
In recent years, public outcry over their track record in government has spurred the development of new alternatives.
“This campaign was very, very weak, and it was clownish in some ways. It seems like we are not a part of the European Union, according to teacher Isabel Monteiro, 63, who added that she had a “disenchantment” with all parties.
According to political scientist Antonio Costa Pinto, the new parliament’s structure would likely be similar to the previous one, and how long the government would rule had to change, as it impacted many variables, including the AD’s ability to reach agreements with other parties.
According to Reuters, the only thing left to wonder is whether the AD will form a new minority government or whether it will form a post-electoral coalition with the Liberal Initiative (IL), a coalition that favors business.
Montenegro declared to reporters that he was confident in achieving stability shortly after casting his own ballot.
He declared that “there is a search for a stable solution,” but that will now be determined by the people’s choices.
The country of 10.6 million people in Portugal would lose hope for the most political unrest in decades if it had a second minority government in succession.
