Portugal votes in presidential election amid surge in far-right support
With conservative President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa reaching the end of his second and final five-year term—after winning close to 60% of the vote in 2021—a crowded field of 11 contenders is vying to replace him. Among them is Andre Ventura, the leader of the far-right Chega party, who garnered nearly 12% in the previous presidential race.
The race also features several high-profile candidates, including Luis Marques Mendes from the governing center-right Social Democratic Party, Antonio Jose Seguro representing the opposition Socialist Party, Joao Cotrim de Figueiredo of the Liberal Initiative, and independent hopeful Henrique Gouveia e Melo.
According to recent polling data cited by reports, a runoff scheduled for Feb. 8 is widely expected, with Ventura and Seguro projected to move on to the second round. The survey places Ventura slightly ahead with roughly 24% support, closely followed by Seguro at 23%, while Figueiredo is estimated to have about 19%.
Historically, Portugal has rarely required a second round in presidential elections, with only one such instance occurring in 1986, when former Socialist Prime Minister Mario Soares reversed an initial loss to defeat Freitas do Amaral.
The election campaign has unfolded amid national debates on widening social inequality, stagnant wages, housing pressures, limits on migrant rights, and labor reforms introduced by the conservative administration of Prime Minister Luis Montenegro.
Chega, which was established seven years ago under Ventura’s leadership, emerged as the largest opposition force for the first time following early parliamentary elections held last May.
While Ventura is widely expected to finish first in the opening round, political observers suggest that achieving a decisive majority in a runoff would be a difficult task.
An estimated 11 million voters are eligible to take part in the election, including around 1.6 million Portuguese citizens living overseas.
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