Portugal’s third general election vote in as many years is taking place, with immigration and the cost of living crisis as the main topics of conversation.
After losing a vote of confidence in a parliamentary vote in March, just one year into the minority government’s term, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, who leads the center-right Democratic Alliance, decided to hold the election on Sunday.
Montenegro held the vote in response to accusations that his family’s consulting firm had conflicts of interest. He denied any wrongdoing.
Despite the controversy, polls indicated that the Democratic Alliance would likely outnumber its main rival, the centre-left Socialist Party, in the vote and potentially win additional seats.
However, it is anticipated that Montenegro’s party will struggle to secure the 116 seats necessary for a majority in parliament.
According to polls, the far-right Chega party, which opposes LGBTQ rights, will come in third place, giving it a chance to become the party’s king. However, Chega, which won 50 seats in the elections last year, has ruled out working with Montenegro.
On the campaign trail, Montenegro appealed directly to voters to give him a strong mandate to end the political unrest while the economy, immigration, and Portugal’s housing crisis were the main concerns.
“We have to contribute both at home and internationally, in Europe and the world,” he said. We need a strong government for that, he said at a Friday rally in Lisbon.
He declared to reporters shortly after the election on Sunday that he was confident in the country’s stability of government.
Source: Aljazeera
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