Portugal votes in close presidential race as far‑right vies for runoff

Portuguese voters queued at polling stations on Sunday to elect a new president, with opinion surveys showing three candidates, including André Ventura, leader of the far‑right Chega party, close to a place in a likely top‑two runoff. The presidency is largely ceremonial but can, in some circumstances, dissolve parliament, call a snap parliamentary election and veto legislation.

About 11 million voters are eligible to cast ballots; polling stations will close at 7pm, exit polls are expected at 8pm and results are due to be released during the night. The last pre‑election Pitagórica poll put Socialist António José Seguro on 25.1%, Ventura on 23% and João Cotrim de Figueiredo on 22.3%.

Chega, founded about seven years ago, became the main opposition party last May after winning 22.8% in a parliamentary vote. In the five decades since Portugal ended its fascist dictatorship, a presidential election has required a runoff only once, in 1986, a sign of the increasingly fragmented political landscape.

Some polls over the past week showed Ventura slightly ahead but within the margin of error, and all runoff projections point to him losing because of a rejection rate of more than 60%.

Key Topics

Politics, André Ventura, Chega, António José Seguro, Cotrim De Figueiredo, Portugal