Portugal goes to elections in May. The centre-right government falls
The Portuguese parliament rejected a motion of confidence in the centre-right minority government on Tuesday, causing its collapse after just 11 months in office and possibly triggering early elections , the country's third in just over three years.
Lawmakers voted 142-88, with zero abstentions, against the motion presented last Thursday by Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, after the opposition questioned his integrity regarding the affairs of a consultancy firm he founded and now run by his sons.
His administration now takes on a caretaker role while awaiting new elections. The Montenegro government, however, was a minority and was based on the abstention of other political forces. It was the first centre-right government since democracy arrived in Portugal in 1977.
Montenegro has denied wrongdoing or ethical lapses by the company, which has contracts with private companies.
“The insinuation that I have mixed my commercial activity with my political one is completely abusive and even offensive. A repeated falsehood does not become the truth, but contaminates the political environment… this is what populism feeds on,” he told Parliament before the vote.
It is now up to President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to decide whether to call new parliamentary elections after a round of consultations that will probably take place in the next few days, but the fate of this legislature now seems sealed. new votes could be held in mid-May.
Complex situation, disillusioned voters
Analysts believe that an early vote is almost inevitable, but they do not see a strong mandate for any political force emerging from it. The most recent polls indicate a slight strengthening of the party that now leads the minority government, but no significant changes. We would return to the current situation:
Meanwhile, voters are already showing election fatigue and disillusionment with politicians.
“It seems like a joke, no one understands why there are new elections so soon. Politicians blame each other, but they are all irresponsible,” said Joao Brito, 70, a retired civil servant in central Lisbon.
The only theoretically stable government would be one that brought together CEOs and social democrats, two forces that, united, could have a majority in Parliament with 230 seats. A solution of this kind already existed from 1983 to 1985. It will not be easy to propose it again now.
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The article Portugal goes to elections in May. The centre-right government falls comes from Scenari Economici .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/il-portogallo-va-alle-elezioni-a-maggio-cade-il-governo-di-centrodestra/ on Wed, 12 Mar 2025 08:00:33 +0000.