Portugal on Monday voted for the ruling Socialists’ as they secured a majority by winning 117 seats in the 230-seat parliament. The win gives ruling Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa an absolute majority to govern solo. His government called a snap election on Sunday where many expected that Costa’s party could gain an absolute majority.
According to Portuguese news agency Corrieo De Manha, Costa’s party received 42% of the votes out of the 99.13% of the votes counted. “An absolute majority doesn’t mean absolute power. It doesn’t mean to govern alone. It’s an increased responsibility and it means to govern with and for all Portuguese,” Costa was quoted as saying by news agency Deutsche Welle.
“The conditions have been created to carry out investments and reforms for Portugal to be more prosperous, fairer, more innovative,” Costa further added while addressing supporters from the party headquarters.
Despite a win for the centre-left Social Party, the right-wing party Chega (which translates to ‘Enough’) led by former football commentator André Ventura increased its vote percentage as it won 7% of votes, registering an increase from the 1.29% it received in 2019. “From now on there won’t be a soft opposition. We will assume the role of being the real opposition to the Socialists…and restore dignity to this country,” Ventura was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.
The party asserts itself as the third-largest political force in the nation.
The reason for the snap-election dates back to October last year when Portugal’s two far-left parties, the Communists and Left Bloc, joined the right-wing parties to block a budget bill which promised income tax cuts for the middle class and increased public investment to foster post-pandemic recovery in the country.
Observers predicted a tight race between the centre-right PSD party and Costa’s Socialists but the former managed to win only 71 seats.
According to a report by AFP, many Portuguese felt that it was not time for a political change. Manuel Pinto, a retired 68-year-old former carpenter, told the news agency that he voted for Costa’s party because he felt that the nation needed him at this stage.
Costa’s rule saw Portugal exit the austerity measures it was under due to a public debt burden which required an international bailout. His party also oversaw growth as the government maintained fiscal discipline, increased the minimum wage significantly and slashed unemployment to pre-pandemic levels, according to the report by AFP.
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