Portugal: Suddenly the early elections are exciting again
Created: 2022-01-29Updated: 2022-01-29, 08:50
By: Daniel Dillman
A new parliament will be elected in Portugal on Sunday.
The latest polls point to a tight race.
Early parliamentary elections will take place in Portugal* on Sunday.
A neck-and-neck race is emerging between the Socialist Party and the centre-right alliance.
All information about the election in Portugal in our live ticker.
Lisbon – The early parliamentary elections in Portugal are suddenly becoming a thriller. According to the latest polls, the outcome of the elections in Portugal is highly uncertain. Prime Minister Antonio Costa's Socialist Party (PS), the favourite, was recently almost level with Riu Rio's Social Democratic Party (PSD) in the centre-right camp. This is the result of a survey published by the daily newspaper Publico and the magazine Expresso.
According to these polls, the PS would have 35 to 36 percent on Sunday, and the PSD would be the second strongest with 33 percent.
At the beginning of November, the PS of Costas - the 60-year-old former mayor of Lisbon - was still 13 points ahead.
At that time, the rejection of the 2022 budget by its former allies from the radical left led to the dissolution of parliament and early elections.
Supporters of the Portuguese Socialist Party at a rally in Lisbon ahead of the general elections.
© Pedro Nunes/afp
Portugal: Conservatives confident of victory in parliamentary elections
In any case, at the end of the election campaign, PSD's Riu Rio is certain that Portugal will see a change of power.
"I'm sure: Antonio Costa is about to lose the elections," said the 64-year-old former mayor of Porto, according to the Politico website.
In Portugal, the Socialists have been in power with the support of the left since 2015.
Before Sunday's ballot, it's not even certain that the left will retain the majority overall or that there will be a right-wing majority in the National Assembly in the future.
Surname | Portugal |
population | 10.31 million (as of 2020) |
capital city | Lisbon |
currency | Euro |
eligible voters | approx. 10 million (domestic and abroad) |
Parliamentary elections in Portugal: Corona hardly plays a role anymore
It is unclear whether the corona pandemic* will still play a major role in the elections in Portugal.
The virus is considered under control in the country due to the high vaccination rate.
This is probably one of the reasons why the Corona policy took a back seat to the election campaign in recent weeks.
Four groups can count on five to six percent of the vote each - increases are expected for the right-wing populists of the Chega party and the Liberals.
The far left and the communist-green coalition, on the other hand, could be punished for opposing the budget.
Costa was open to talks with all parties except the Chega party.
(dil/afp)
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