11:13 AM Thursday, March 21, 2024
Lisbon – (dpa)
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa appointed conservative politician Luis Montenegro as the new prime minister, 11 days after parliamentary elections were held.
The President’s Office in Lisbon announced the appointment on Thursday.
Montenegro’s center-right Democratic Alliance received the largest number of votes in the elections, narrowly beating the Socialists, who have been in power for eight years.
After counting almost all the votes, including votes from abroad, the Conservatives won about a third of the 230 seats in parliament.
The biggest winner in the election was Andre Ventura of the far-right Chiga (Enough) party, which more than quadrupled its number of seats.
Since Montenegro has described Chiga as a “xenophobic” and “racist” party and has repeatedly denied any cooperation with populists, governing is likely to be very difficult for it.
As Prime Minister, he must now present his government’s program to Parliament. If he does not get a majority for this, new elections will have to be held.
The formation of a “grand coalition” between conservatives and socialists is considered out of the question in Portugal. As in neighboring Spain, the two main parties are separated by seemingly insurmountable differences.
