The center-right narrowly won Portugal's legislative election this Sunday (10). With 99.01% of the ballots counted, the Democratic Alliance (AD) won 79 seats in the Assembly of the Republic, obtaining 29.49% of the votes.
The AD is made up of the acronyms: Social Democratic Party (PPD/PSD), Popular Party (CDS-PP) and the Popular Monarchist Party (PPM). Only the PSD-CDS coalition on Madeira Island was included in the distribution of seats, which won, for the Democratic Alliance.
The Socialist Party (PS) won 77 seats, representing 28.66%. Chega, on the far right, won 48 mandates, obtaining 18.06% of the votes.
226 parliamentarians have already been confirmed, with four positions remaining that will be decided with the vote of people outside the country.
“It is unavoidable that the AD won the elections and the PS lost the elections”, stated Luís Montenegro, leader of the Democratic Alliance.
According to Montenegro, the coalition is ready “to start the government and respect the word of the Portuguese people”.
However, he expresses that the alliance is aware “that on many occasions, the implementation of the government program will have to go through political dialogue in the Assembly of the Republic”, asking all parties to assume this responsibility, “starting with the PS”.
The leader of the alliance reaffirms that he will “comply with the change” with a “new prime minister, a new government and new policies”.
“We have to give the country new policies and comply with the basis of the program that was approved today”, declared the AD leader.
Socialist Party concedes defeat
Pedro Nuno Santos, leader of the Socialist Party, declared that he had not managed to achieve a majority in the election.
“We don’t have a majority and if we don’t have a majority we can’t present ourselves as a solution”, said Santos.
In his speech, he also said that the party will not give in to “any type of pressure” and that his project “is not compatible with that of the AD”.
The elections
According to the most recent data from the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs, 6.1 million voters went to the polls out of 9.2 million eligible to vote.
The early election, four months after the sudden resignation of socialist Prime Minister António Costa amid a corruption investigation, once again provokes a clash between the two centrist parties – the Socialist Party (PS) and the Social Democratic Party (PSD) – who have alternated in power since the end of a fascist dictatorship five decades ago.
*With information from CNN Portugal
Source: CNN Brasil
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