Lisbon, Portugal – Moderate Socialist António José Seguro has secured a landslide victory in Portugal’s presidential election, defeating far-right populist André Ventura. Exit polls released Sunday indicated Seguro garnered between 67% and 73% of the vote, while Ventura received approximately 27% to 33%.
The win positions the 63-year-old Seguro to succeed outgoing President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on March 9th, ending de Sousa’s ten-year tenure. Seguro presented himself as a unifying candidate, warning against the potential consequences of a Ventura victory, which he described as a “nightmare” scenario for the country.
Seguro’s path to the presidency saw him win the first round of voting on January 18th with 31.1% of the vote. He subsequently gained endorsements from across the political spectrum, including figures from the left, center, and even the right, though notably not from Prime Minister Luis Montenegro.
Ventura, despite his loss, has significantly increased his political profile. The 43-year-old former TV sports commentator secured a much stronger result than his party, Chega, achieved in last year’s general election, where it received 22.8% of the vote. Chega has since become the second-largest parliamentary force in Portugal.
The election took place amidst a period of challenging weather conditions, with a succession of storms prompting three municipal councils in southern and central Portugal to postpone voting by a week. This postponement affected approximately 37,000 registered voters, roughly 0.3% of the total electorate, but is not expected to alter the overall outcome.
While the Portuguese presidency is largely symbolic, the role carries significant weight as an arbiter in times of political crisis and holds the power to dissolve Parliament and call for new elections. Given the current minority government led by Prime Minister Montenegro, which relies on shifting alliances with both Socialists and the far-right, the new president is expected to play a central role in the country’s political landscape.
Political analyst Bruno Ferreira da Costa of Beira Interior University noted that, “given that the government does not yet have a majority in Parliament,” the new president “will remain at the center of the political game.”
Ventura aimed to “consolidate his electoral base” and “assert himself as the true leader of the Portuguese right,” according to José Santana Pereira, a professor of political science at Lisbon University. His strong showing signals a growing influence of the far-right in Portugal, mirroring trends seen across Europe.
The campaign was also impacted by severe storms that swept across Portugal in the weeks leading up to the election, prompting concerns about voter turnout. Despite these challenges, initial reports suggest that abstention rates remained comparable to the first round, with approximately 47.7% of eligible voters participating – the highest level since the 2006 presidential election.
