Voters in Portugal electing new president, could be far-right winner

A far-right candidate could for the first time enter a run-off in Portugal, potentially securing yet another victory for Europe’s burgeoning far-right parties.

On Sunday, polling stations across the nation opened at 8am local time (08:00 GMT), and results of the exit polls will be revealed 12 hours later. The election, which has 11 candidates, has an eligible vote of almost 11 million people.

Andre Ventura, the party’s leader, is expected to win the first round, but he will lose round two on February 8 regardless of who else he faces in the second round, according to polls.

A candidate hasn’t won the first-round ballot, which requires more than 50% of the vote, for the first time in four decades.

The president has little authority over the executive branch in Portugal. The head of state typically seeks to mediate disputes and settle disputes among themselves in the political fray.

However, the president has some powerful tools, including the ability to veto laws from the legislature even though they cannot be overturned. Additionally, the head of state has the authority to dissolve the country’s parliament and hold early elections.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, president, has been given a two-year term limit.

Chega became the second-largest party in Portugal’s parliament last year after just six years of operation thanks to its surge in public support.

What Ventura refers to as “excessive immigration” has become one of his main targets.

Ventura distributed xenophobic billboards across the nation proclaiming “This isn’t Bangladesh” and “Immigrants shouldn’t be allowed to live on welfare” during the election campaign.

Other key candidates are Antonio Jose Seguro of the center-left Socialist Party and Luis Marques Mendes of the country’s centre-right Social Democratic Party, both of which have been in power for the past 50 years.