The main formation of the center-right opposition in Portugal has chosen to re-elect Rui Rio, whose priority will be to challenge Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa in just over two months in early legislative elections.
This victory "
brings great responsibility,
" said Rui Rio, who has led the Social Democratic Party (PSD) since 2018, recalling that the objective "
is to move on to another chapter on January 30
".
"
I am going to win the legislative elections
", he launched in front of the militants in his speech of victory.
According to the results announced by the party, Rui Rio won 52.43% of the votes of some 50,000 activists who took part in this internal poll in the various sections across the country, against 47.57% for his opponent, the euro. - Deputy Paulo Rangel.
In a context of political crisis, the PSD had decided to advance by one week the ballot which had taken a value of primary on the right.
The winner, who will be inducted at the party congress scheduled for December 17-19 in Lisbon, will be responsible for leading the training in the early parliamentary elections on January 30, convened after the split between the socialist government of Antonio Costa and his elders. allies of the radical left over the next state budget.
The PSD had voted alongside the radical left against the finance law of the minority socialist government, sealing the end of the alliance that had allowed Mr. Costa to come to power at the end of 2015 and plunging the country into a political crisis.
The legislative elections, which should normally have been organized in autumn 2023, will be the third national election that Portugal is organizing in the space of a year, after the presidential election last January and the municipal elections at the end of September.
