Portugal’s prime minister, António Costa, who won an unexpected third consecutive term in January 2022, resigned last November amid an investigation into alleged illegalities in his government’s handling of large green investment projects.
Costa was succeeded in December as head of the ruling Socialist party (PS) by the head of the party’s left wing, Pedro Nuno Santos.
A former infrastructure minister, Nuno Santos, 46, was a vital link to far-left parties that had supported a previous Costa minority government but which opposed the 2022 state budget, triggering the last general election.
He resigned his ministerial post in late 2022 in a scandal involving a €500,000 severance payment by Portugal’s state-owned airline TAP, which was in the middle of a restructuring plan.
The leader of the rival centre-right Social Democratic party (PSD), Luís Montenegro, 51, led its parliamentary group when the party was in government between 2011 and 2015 and imposed severe austerity measures.
An MP for more than 20 years, his refusal to entertain an alliance with the far right led him to break with the prime minister of that period, Pedro Passos Coelho. He was elected head of the PSD in May 2022 at his second attempt.
André Ventura, 41, is a former television sports commentator who initially entered politics in the ranks of the PSD and first grabbed the nation’s attention when as a candidate for mayor in a town outside Lisbon he denounced the Roma community.
He left PSD to launch Chega (Enough) in 2019 and has since propounded a populist, anti-establishment message that has found a fast-growing audience. Chega scored 1.3% of votes in 2019’s election and 7.3% in 2022, when it finished third.
Political opponents accuse Chega of frequently resorting to xenophobia, racism and demagoguery. Ventura says his party “touches on issues that interest people”.
We asked Portuguese politicians how they see the campaign, days before voters go to the polls.
“The campaign demonstrates the success of the centre-right coalition in gaining the upper hand against the socialists,” said José Manuel Fernandes, a member of the European parliament from the Social Democratic Party (PSD).
Ahead of the election, the PSD linked up with the small conservative CDS-PP party to form Aliança Democratica (AD).
Fernandes argued that“the coalition’s tax reduction strategy to enhance wages has received positive feedback from the Portuguese electorate” and that “the alliance has distinctly identified the primary issues facing Portugal today: economic strength and competitiveness.”
He described policy priorities for the campaign:
Portugal needs an economy that is stronger, more resilient, and more competitive. Such an economy should empower private initiatives to contribute significantly.
Effective public services: It is unacceptable for citizens to endure high taxes and hard work without receiving adequate public services in return.
Portuguese national health system fails to meet the citizens’ needs, indicating a clear gap in service delivery.
Youth policies: The current state of losing a highly talented generation of young Portuguese due to insufficient working conditions and unfair wages cannot continue. Our party is committed to reversing this trend through visionary and ambitious policies that offer both.
Valuing the elderly: We must uphold generational solidarity by appreciating and supporting our elderly population. This approach is beneficial and essential for societal cohesion and mutual respect across generations.
Portugal’s prime minister, António Costa, who won an unexpected third consecutive term in January 2022, resigned last November amid an investigation into alleged illegalities in his government’s handling of large green investment projects.
Costa was succeeded in December as head of the ruling Socialist party (PS) by the head of the party’s left wing, Pedro Nuno Santos.
A former infrastructure minister, Nuno Santos, 46, was a vital link to far-left parties that had supported a previous Costa minority government but which opposed the 2022 state budget, triggering the last general election.
He resigned his ministerial post in late 2022 in a scandal involving a €500,000 severance payment by Portugal’s state-owned airline TAP, which was in the middle of a restructuring plan.
The leader of the rival centre-right Social Democratic party (PSD), Luís Montenegro, 51, led its parliamentary group when the party was in government between 2011 and 2015 and imposed severe austerity measures.
An MP for more than 20 years, his refusal to entertain an alliance with the far right led him to break with the prime minister of that period, Pedro Passos Coelho. He was elected head of the PSD in May 2022 at his second attempt.
André Ventura, 41, is a former television sports commentator who initially entered politics in the ranks of the PSD and first grabbed the nation’s attention when as a candidate for mayor in a town outside Lisbon he denounced the Roma community.
He left PSD to launch Chega (Enough) in 2019 and has since propounded a populist, anti-establishment message that has found a fast-growing audience. Chega scored 1.3% of votes in 2019’s election and 7.3% in 2022, when it finished third.
Political opponents accuse Chega of frequently resorting to xenophobia, racism and demagoguery. Ventura says his party “touches on issues that interest people”.
