The far-right Chega party believes that it would be “irresponsible” if there were not a right-wing pact
The center-right Democratic Alliance coalition has won the elections held this Sunday in Portugal according to exit polls, although without sufficient support to govern alone, which is why the far-right Chega party has offered to support a right-wing government if arithmetic finally allows it.
The official results, still partial, with 80 percent counted, confirm the predictions of the exit polls with a victory for the AD (32.2 percent), while the Socialist Party (PS) obtains 28.7 percent. backup.
The third political force is Chega (Basta) with 19.2 percent and well ahead of the Liberal Initiative (3.7 percent), the Left Bloc (3.6 percent), the communist Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU, 2.9 percent), Libre (1.9 percent), National Democratic Alternative (1.9 percent) and the environmentalist PAN (1.4 percent).
AD would not obtain the 115 seats in the National Assembly that would allow it to govern alone, although it has yet to be decided whether it would gain enough support with Chega. The distribution of seats is carried out by constituencies and at the moment there is no data on a projection of the result in seats.
“The results project one of the worst historical results for the left and a victory for AD,” highlighted the general secretary of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Hugo Soares. The PSD is the party that leads the AD, accompanied by the Democratic and Social Center-Popular Party (CDS-PP) and the Popular Monarchist Party (PPM).
“We face the projections with the same tranquility and serenity with which we have carried out the entire campaign. I cannot fail to point out that the projections point to a victory for the Democratic Alliance and, above all, to a great feeling of change in the country,” he added. Soares from the party headquarters in Lisbon, according to the Portuguese press.
At the moment the leader of the PSD, Luís Montenegro, has not made any statements and the party has asked to wait for the publication of official results.
However, the leader of Chega, André Ventura, has insisted on the possibility of forming a government with the AD despite the conservatives’ refusal in the campaign. “AD has asked for a majority and the Portuguese have told him that this majority is that of AD and Chega. It would be irresponsible if there was not a union. We are responsible (…) We are all called to that alternative,” he argued.
Ventura has thus highlighted that it has been “a historic night” that “has put an end to the two-party system in Portugal” and “there will be a firm right-wing majority.”
When asked if he has already spoken with the leader of the PSD, Luís Montenegro, Ventura asked for time. “Today is still early. Tomorrow it would be good to start talking about budgets,” he noted.
PS IN THE OPPOSITION
The PS campaign director, João Torres, has also reacted, highlighting that since he is not the most voted, the party will lead the opposition. “The PS is not going to create a constitutional impasse in the country. The PS is not the natural partner of the AD,” he warned in reference to the possibility of a grand coalition.
“If the projections are confirmed, the PS will have the obligation, of course, to lead the opposition. We wait with serenity and tranquility for the results,” he said when asked about the possibility of an agreement between left-wing parties.
As for the future, Torres has warned “that no one expects the PS to support the AD budgets.” “We have a different vision of society, with a different matrix,” he argued.
