Portugal is facing its third national election in three years, following the collapse of the centre-right government of Luis Montenegro.
The minority government of Montenegro lost a confidence vote in Parliament amid questions about the prime minister’s conduct, bringing the worst bout of political instability in Portugal’s 51-year democracy.
With a population of around 10.6 million people, Portugal has had a series of minority governments in recent years as the traditional rivals for power, the centre-right Social Democratic Party and the centre-left Socialists, lost votes to growing smaller parties.
On Friday, both Montenegro and Socialist Party leader Pedro Nuno Santos held their final campaign rallies.
“Two days to go and we will win these elections. No one can stay home, only the Socialist Party can bring stability to the country, political stability and a direction to Portugal, that they did not manage to achieve but we can and we will with the Portuguese people,” Santos said.
Montenegro said during his rally: “For many years we haven’t felt such a force in believing on what we can do as a country, as a nation, as a community, as a force that we have within us.”
Political instability
The ballot deepens political uncertainty just as Portugal is in the process of investing more than €22 billion in EU development funds.
Voter discontent with a return to the polls could bring dividends for the far-right populist party Chega (Enough), which has fed off frustration with the two mainstream parties.
Portugal has been caught up in the rising European tide of populism, with Chega surging into third place in last year’s election.
The government, led by the Social Democrats in an alliance with a smaller party, fell amid a controversy that has revolved around potential conflicts of interest in the business dealings of outgoing Prime Minister Luis Montenegro’s family law firm.
Montenegro, who is standing for re-election, has denied any wrongdoing.
He said he placed control of the firm in the hands of his wife and children when he became Social Democratic leader in 2022 and has not been involved in its running.
The Socialists demanded a parliamentary inquiry into Montenegro’s conduct.
The Social Democrats are hoping that economic growth estimated at 1.9% last year, compared with the EU’s 0.8% average, and a jobless rate of 6.4%, roughly the EU average, will hold their support steady.
The Portuguese President has urged voters to participate actively in the country’s third general election in three years, saying the continent faces stiff challenges to its security and economy that require political stability.