Portugal Would Have Been Better Off Going To The Dogs (And Other Animals)

FOTP Monday

We interrupt our regularly schedule tour of the great nations of Europe because we had an election in Portugal yesterday — third one in three years — and . . . it settled very little.

From euronews

The ruling centre-right coalition Democratic Alliance (AD/PSD-CDS) remained the strongest political force in Portugal, with 32% of votes won in the Sunday general election. With 99% of the vote counted, far-right party Chega, which earned 22,56%, has managed to nearly become the second-strongest party in the country, nearing the Socialist Party (PS) which won 23,38% of the vote. Both parties will have the same number of seats in the new parliament, 58.

Going into Sunday’s election, polls showed a closer race between the AD and the PS, even if none of the polls had the PS winning. What was somewhat surprising: Chega did better than anyone expected, especially considering its recent troubles.

More on that in a moment.

Since 2024, the country has been government by the AD, which had consisted of not only the centre-right Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the CDS – People's Party (CDS–PP), but the People's Monarchist Party (PPM) and the conservative CDS-PP. Luis Montenegro, 52, head of the PSD, has been the prime minister who cobbled that government together after that election.

And it lasted about 14 months.