Political crisis in Portugal – to new elections within three years

The minority government in Portugal He lost the vote of confidence in Parliament, pushed to resign and lead the country to third general elections within three years.

The exact counting of the votes was not readily available, but Parliament President José Pedro Aguiar-Branco said the center-right government was defeated.

The vote of trust that was not achieved

The government, a bipartisan alliance led by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and in power for less than a year, had only 80 seats in today's 230 seats. The overwhelming majority of opposition MPs had vowed to vote against it.

The government called for a vote of confidence, saying it was necessary to « dismantle uncertainty » about its own future amid a underlying political crisis that has focused on Social Democrat Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and has distracted from politics, Guardian.

The controversy revolved around possible conflicts of interest in the business transactions of Montenegro's family law firm.

The new elections are likely to be held in May.

The scandal and the uncertainty of citizens

Montenegro, who had stated that he would apply for re -election if the government was falling, denied any offense. He said he put control of the company in the hands of his wife and children when he became the leader of the PSD in 2022, and was not involved in its operation.

It has recently been revealed that the company is receiving monthly payments from another company that has a significant gambling gambling from the government, including sources of revenue.

The elections would lead the country of 10.6 million inhabitants to months of political uncertainty while investing over 22 billion euros ($ 24 billion) in EU development funds.

The Social Democrats hope that economic growth estimated at 1.9%last year, compared to the EU average of 0.8%, and an unemployment rate of 6.4%, which is about the average EU, will keep their support stable.

Portugal, however, is at the heart of a growing European populism, with a radical right -wing party taking third place in last year's elections. Voters' dissatisfaction with returning to the polls could play in the hands of the Chega party (quite a few), which has been fueled by the frustration for the dominant parties.

The smaller parties and the far -right

In the last election, the Portuguese's far -right Chega party won 50 seats, overflows with the 12 seats previously held, Al Jazeera.

At that time, Montenegro excluded cooperation with Chega, saying « no means no » to the formation of a government with the party, which has won votes by campaigning on an anti -immigration platform.

Political scientist Adelino Maltez of the University of Lisbon said polls showed a very little change in voters' preferences from March 2024.

« The problem is that the new elections will not be convincing … The ad and the socialists are tied. It is a situation that will be difficult to manage, « Maltez said.

Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro during the confidence proposal. Reuters/Pedro Nunes

A centralized agreement between the Social Democrats and the Socialists was the only solution, despite differences in their political proposals, he said. The two main opponents once had a deal of this kind in parliament once between 1983 and 1985.

« If they don't, it will continue its own instability, » Maltez said.

Although early elections are almost inevitable now, voters are already showing electoral fatigue and frustration by politicians.

« This looks like a joke, no one understands why new elections are so soon. Politicians blame each other, but all of them are irresponsible, « said Joao Brito, a 70 -year -old retired civil servant in downtown Lisbon.

Government and confrontation

As it became known, at the beginning of the debate in Parliament, about his behavior and the case with his company, the prime minister said he gave « clarifications » and that two censure proposals were submitted to him. « My professional activity had absolutely no political influence and my political activity has absolutely no business influence, » he said.

« The hint that I mixed my business and political activity is completely abusive, even offensive. A recurring lie is not true, but it infects the political environment … Populism feeds on it, « he told parliament before the vote, according to Reuters.

He also said that he was available for « additional clarifications », either to the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee, or with the Attorney General or the Transparency Authority. « My consciousness is absolutely clean, » he said.

The leader of the Socialist Party Pedro Nuno Santos greets the photographers during the stoppage of the process. Reuters/Pedro Nunes

The prime minister began with a challenge to the leader of the Socialists (PS), expressing his willingness to suspend the debate if Pedro Nuno Santos says what information he wants to know, in what form and in what time context, Euronews.

The Secretary -General of the Socialists returned the challenge of Montenegro: « Withdraw the proposal of confidence and accept the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee. »

« This crisis is the prime minister's sole responsibility, » Pedro Nuno Santos accused.

Clarifications are necessary at public level

In a second attempt to drop the tones, the PSD also requested that the meeting be interrupted for half an hour so that the prime minister would meet in camera with the Secretary-General of the PS (Socialist Party-Socialist Party) so that both of them can talk and find a solution.

PS chief Pedro Nuno Santos rejected the meeting with Luís Montenegro, noting that clarifications « must be made public ».

« The clarifications if requested do not come from the PS, the clarifications must be public and therefore must be done through the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee, » he said, according to the Euronews report.

PS's parliamentary chief Alexandra Leitão also argued that « countless questions » have been raised by the prime minister in « all sorts of ways ». « The prime minister did not want or could not answer, » he said, saying that what we have seen was « proof that the government and the prime minister are desperate », referring to the suspension requested.

« If you want to give clarifications, do it publicly, according to public, legal and regulatory procedures, Alexandra Leitão said, adding » withdraw the confidence proposal « .

The request for stopping parliamentary work was rejected with the votes of PS, Chega, Be and PCP voting against PSDs, CDS-PP and IL to vote in both Pan and Livre abstaining.

Source: In