Portugal’s fragmented new Parliament struggled on Wednesday to elect a president, after three inconclusive votes the previous day highlighted the fragility of the center-right coalition that won the election and the growing influence of the far right.
The Democratic Alliance (AD) coalition won the March 10 election by a small margin over the Socialist Party, which was in government before the election, falling far short of a majority.
The far-right Chega party has quadrupled its parliamentary representation, reflecting a political tilt towards right-wing populism across Europe.
In an attempt to compromise after several postponements of the vote on Wednesday, the Social Democratic Party (PSD), which leads the AD, and the socialists said they would seek the solution of a rotating presidency.
“We need to overcome this impasse,” PSD deputy Joaquim Miranda Sarmento told reporters, explaining that the idea was for José Pedro Aguiar Branco, from the PSD, to be the first president of the Assembly of the Republic, followed by socialist Francisco Assis in the second half of the four-year legislature, if it lasts that long.
The PS said that it was just an “institutional solution” that did not make both parties government partners.
Together, the PSD and the socialists have 156 seats in the Parliament of 230 deputies, enough to elect a president.
Analysts have predicted instability for the AD minority government, which has just 80 seats and is unlikely to be able to pass laws without the support of Chega, whose leader André Ventura has demanded a long-term agreement in exchange for support.
AD leader Luis Montenegro has repeatedly refused any formal agreement with Chega.
On Monday, Ventura said that his party had reached an “understanding” with the AD regarding the election of Aguiar Branco.
However, after several members of the AD denied the existence of an agreement, their candidate failed to obtain enough votes, while Ventura accused the AD of “trampling” Chega. Two other rounds of voting, after the Socialists and Chega presented their own candidates, also failed on Tuesday.
After the commitment announced on Wednesday, Ventura said that this clearly showed that the PSD had chosen its “journey companion” for its mandate and that it now needs to govern with him.
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