Portugal’s ruling Socialists have won the country’s snap parliamentary elections, beating the center-right Social Democratic Party (PSD), the national electoral commission announced on Sunday.
The Socialists, led by Prime Minister Antonio Costa, received 42% of the vote, the electoral commission said after counting 95% of the ballots.
Although an absolute majority in the 230-seat parliament is possible with around 41% of the vote, the Socialists will have to wait for official final results to know whether this majority has been secured.
“It seems clear that the PS won and came out stronger than before the vote, but we have to wait for the final results,” Costa said following the announcement.
Additionally, more than one-tenth of the country is estimated to be isolating due to COVID-19 concerns. Authorities have granted permission for the infected to go to the polls but requested that they do so in the final hours before polls close.
What is at stake in Sunday’s election?
Prime Minister Antonio Costa of the Socialist Party told the crowd at a campaign rally in the country’s second city Oporto Friday, “Portugal needs stability after these two difficult years of fighting against the pandemic.”
Fellow European left-leaning leaders such as Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz lent their support to Costa during the campaign. Scholz called Costa a “tireless defender of social justice.”
Costa’s government has rolled back austerity measures, held to budgets and reduced unemployment to the level it was at prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Opposition leader Rui Rio of the PSD challenges Costa’s handle on the economy and says further expansion is needed. Rio has called for cuts to corporate tax rates.
The election Sunday comes after two far-left parties switched sides and joined with right-wing parties in rejecting the 2022 draft budget put forward by Costa last October.
Burned by that vote, should the Socialists win the most votes but fail to gain a majority, Costa said he will govern as a minority party and seek support from other parties on a case-by-case basis.
Lisbon University politics professor Antonio Costa Pinto said that governing in such a way would unlikely last until the term expires in 2026.
Far-right party Chega, meaning “Enough,” could emerge as the third largest party in parliament after entering during the last vote in 2019 with a single seat.
What challenges does Portugal face?
The country’s tourism-dependent economy has been hurt by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, key challenges that will confront the country’s next ruling coalition.
Portugal will receive €16.6 billion ($18.7 billion) in recovery funds from the EU by 2026. The next government will be tasked with maximizing the effectiveness of these funds.
ar/aw (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/portugal-socialists-win-parliamentary-vote/a-60601902?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf