Without parliamentary majority, center-right government takes office in Portugal

The government of the Prime Minister of Portugal, Luis Montenegrotook office this Tuesday, 2nd, after a narrow victory for Democratic Alliance (AD), a center-right coalition, in the March 10 elections. When going to the polls, the Social Democratic Party (PSD), led by Montenegro, won 29% of the votes and 79 deputies. O Socialist Party (PS)his rival and government leader since 2015, received 28% of the vote and 77 seats.

“I solemnly affirm on my honor that I will faithfully carry out the duties entrusted to me,” Montenegro said in an oath.

Without an absolute majority (which requires 116 of the 230 seats in parliament), the president of the PSD will govern based on negotiations with the other parties, having refused any form of rapprochement with the ultra-right party Chega, considered racist and xenophobic by Montenegro. Despite not being part of the government, the party was the big winner in the Portuguese election: it almost quadrupled the number of parliamentarians to 48, confirming the shift to the right predicted by opinion polls.

The elections were called after the resignation of the former prime minister, António Costa, from the PS, in November last year, after becoming the target of a mega-operation investigating an alleged lithium and green hydrogen exploration scheme. He had acted to allow irregular operations, alleged those suspected of participation in the crime.

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Prime Minister’s Inauguration

The PS general secretary, Pedro Nuno Santos, and left-wing parties were not present at the inauguration. In a speech at the ceremony, the president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, thanked the Costa government for its work and highlighted that the March election “was a vote of faith in democracy by reversing the abstention that seemed unstoppable”, emphasizing that freedom and democracy is “always worth it”.

After that, Montenegro promised “positive and institutional collaboration” with the Sousa administration, guaranteeing that his government “is here to govern the four and a half years of the legislature” – there is already speculation about a collapse due to the absence of an absolute majority in parliament and his refusal to formalize a coalition. The new prime minister also highlighted that the administration is focused “essentially on solving people’s problems and promoting the national interest”.

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“Hope to achieve goals, objectives and results. We will not govern for propaganda; let’s govern for results,” she said.

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Montenegro Government

Faced with an inflationary rise in the cult of life, a housing crisis, an increase in immigration and police protests, Portugal finds itself facing a complex political chessboard. To try to dominate the game, Montenegro promised tax cuts for families and companies and salary increases for teachers, security officers and doctors. But its first test will be to approve the 2025 budget.

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In an attempt to achieve success, Montenegro formed the government with names such as Dalila Rodrigues (Culture), José Manuel Fernandes (Agriculture), Margarida Balseiro Lopes (Minister of Youth and Modernization and vice-president of the PSD), Maria Rosário Ramalho (Labour), Maria da Graça Carvalho (Environment and Energy), Miguel Pinto Luz (Infrastructures and Housing and also vice-president of the PSD), Pedro Reis (Economy), Fernando Alexandre (Education, Higher Education and Science) and Ana Paula Martins (Health). In total, there are four MEPs in the cast.