Ruling Socialist Party Expected to Win Early General Election in Portugal

Prime Minister Ant?nio Costa of Portugal
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] In the early parliamentary election in Portugal on the 30th (local time), exit poll results announced that the victory of the ruling center-left Socialist Party led by Prime Minister Antonio Costa is expected.

According to the daily newspaper The Guardian and others on the 30th, exit poll results from Portugal's public broadcaster RTP showed that the ruling Socialist Party secured 37?42.5% of the votes. Accordingly, the Socialist Party is expected to hold 100?118 seats out of the total 230 seats in the parliament, making it the clear largest party in the assembly.

The main opposition center-right Social Democratic Party recorded a vote share of 30?35%. The newly established far-right populist party "Chega" is projected to gain 5?8% of the votes, increasing its seats from the previous 1 to up to 13. The far-left coalition is estimated to have 3?6%, and the Communist Party 3?5% of the votes.

The voter turnout was estimated at around 46%.

Portugal's parliamentary elections are held every four years and were originally scheduled for 2023. However, after the government’s budget proposal for this year was rejected last October by the left-wing coalition, a coalition partner, along with the main opposition Social Democratic Party, the president dissolved the parliament, leading to the early election.

While it is certain that the Socialist Party will become the largest party in the assembly, it is uncertain whether they will surpass the majority threshold of 116 seats required to pass legislation without forming a coalition with other parties, making the final vote count highly anticipated.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.