Portugal will hold a snap election on May 18 following the fall of its government

The center-right administration in Portugal fell, and on May 18, a snap legislative election will be held.

Portugal’s third early parliamentary election in just over three years will take place on May 18 after the center-right minority administration fell. The decision was made public by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Thursday, two days after the government was defeated in a legislative confidence vote.

Both the president’s advisory Council of State and major political parties unanimously endorsed the widely anticipated decision to dissolve parliament and hold a quick election. In the interim, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro’s government will operate until a new parliament is established.

The situation began when Montenegro responded to opposition threats of a parliamentary investigation into his family’s data protection consultancy by presenting a motion of confidence. In his capacity as prime minister, Montenegro was accused by the opposition of indirectly profiting from the company’s agreements with private companies. Although certain claims are being examined by prosecutors, no official investigation is in progress.

President Rebelo de Sousa said that the election was “probably not what anyone had anticipated or desired,” and he bemoaned the fact that the Montenegrin conflict would take center stage during the campaign. He called for a “electoral debate that is dignified, calm, and straightforward.”

In support of him, Montenegro’s Social Democratic Party (PSD) has blamed the situation on the opposition. Nonetheless, experts contend that Montenegro is to blame for the political unrest, and surveys suggest he may have lost the public’s trust.

According to recent polls, the opposition Socialists are somewhat ahead of the Montenegrin coalition, but both parties are at about 30%, indicating that not much has changed since the election last year. Due to problems involving senior members, the far-right Chega party is still in third place, albeit marginally below its 2023 result of 18%.

Portugal has maintained its economic resilience in the face of numerous political upheavals, as evidenced by budget surpluses, lower debt, and faster growth than the majority of EU countries. Another election is not expected to present any immediate economic dangers, according to economists.

Voters’ discontent is growing, though. Because so many Portuguese are tired of elections that don’t result in stable rule, observers anticipate greater abstention percentages this time around. In favor of the anti-establishment Chega, a record 6.47 million voters cast ballots in last year’s election, which was 900,000 more than in 2022. It is unclear if this pattern will continue as Portugal gets ready for another important referendum.