Portugal's far-right chega has achieved historic election growth. Some are comparing it to Trump
Portugal's third general election in three years failed to achieve this result, which could undermine the worst political unrest in decades of 10.6 million people.
Sunday's vote provided another minority government for the center-right Democratic Union, which would be at the mercy of the opposition. Support for the hard party Populist party Chega (meaning “enough”) has increased significantly, which has added more uncertainty.
“We have accomplished what other parties have not achieved in Portugal. Today, we can safely declare the bipartisan cooperation in Portugal across the country,” Chega leader Andre Ventura told Lisbon's joy supporters.
He said: “Nothing is like this.
In Portugal, local media reported that anti-immigration rhetoric helped promote Chega's historic rise. Experts point out that this is part of a broader trend that echoes the United States and the European Union.
Bruno Madeira, a historian and professor at the University of Minneapolis, told the Portuguese newspaper Jornal deNotícias on Monday on Monday.
Why are there early elections?
The Social Democratic League, led by the Social Democratic Party, lost confidence in parliament in March, protested by opposition lawmakers. This triggered an election that arrived in 2028.
The political storm surrounding the potential conflict of interest in commercial transactions of Luís Montenegro’s family law firm has sparked a vote of confidence. Montenegro is ready to become Prime Minister again, denied any misconduct.
What was the result of Sunday's vote?
The Democratic coalition has seized at least 89 seats in the 230-seat National Assembly. Chega collects the same number of seats as the left-wing socialists (58), and the remaining four seats that have been decided by foreign voters in the coming days can all take second place.
Chega won a record 1.34 million votes, or 22.6%. In previous votes, it won two of the four seats reserved for overseas voters.
Chega won a seat only six years ago and was upset with a more modest traditional party. Its success shocked the traditional balance of power, a trend that elsewhere in Europe has witnessed elsewhere in Europe, such as French national assembly, Italian brothers and German alternatives, which are now politically mainstream.
The Social Democratic Party and the Left Socialist Party have taken office in Portugal for the past 50 years. Meanwhile, the socialists have no leaders after Pedro Nuno Santos said the party’s worst results since 1987.
The smaller parties received other seats.
What's the problem?
In recent years, corruption scandals have deceived Portuguese politics and helped cheer on Chega's rise.
Chega's success is attributed to demands for stricter immigration policies, which resonate with voters.
Portugal has witnessed a sharp rise in immigration. According to government statistics, in 2018, less than 500,000 immigrants in Portugal had legal residence rights. By the beginning of the year, there were more than 1.5 million, many of them Brazilians and Asians working in tourism and agriculture. Thousands of people lack proper documentation in Portugal.
The housing crisis has also sparked debate. House prices and rents have been soaring over the past decade, partly because of the influx of white-collar foreigners with rising prices.
Portugal is one of the poorest countries in Western Europe, complicating the problem. According to the Bureau of Statistics, the average monthly salary last year was about €1,200 ($1,882) before tax. The government minimum wage this year is 870 euros ($1,363 CDN).
What will happen now?
The Portuguese head of state convened the country's political parties for consultation.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who has no executive power, consults with the parties before inviting the election champion to form a government and is in accordance with the constitution.
In Lisbon, some residents worry about what the surge in Chega means for democracy, comparing the party to the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Antonio Albuquerque, 65, said it was the first time in his life that he hadn't voted because he didn't trust any gatherings.
“Look at the ocean and see if there is any risk. What is Trump doing? I think we are in danger, right?” he said.
