Portugal's Center-Right Coalition Wins Election Amid Resurgence of Hard-Right Chega Party

In a recent snap election, Portugal's center-right Democratic Alliance, led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, managed to win but fell short of a majority due to a significant rise in support for the hard-right Chega party, indicating a shift in the political landscape of the nation.

Portugal's political landscape has been significantly altered following the results of Sunday’s snap election, wherein the governing center-right coalition under Prime Minister Luís Montenegro secured victory but did not achieve a parliamentary majority. The election results reflected a notable surge in votes for the hard-right Chega party, which has transitioned from a fringe movement to a key political player, marking a distinctive shift in Portugal's traditionally moderate political scene.

According to political analysts like António Costa Pinto from the Institute of Social Sciences at the University of Lisbon, “Chega is the real winner of this election.” While Montenegro's coalition, officially known as the Democratic Alliance, obtained around 32 percent of the vote, both Chega and the center-left Socialist Party closely followed, the Socialists garnering about 23 percent and Chega around 22 percent of the votes as of Monday morning's reporting.

Despite the electoral success, Montenegro's government is likely facing another term of minority rule, as experts suggest there will be little inclination for coalition-building with Chega. Following a no-confidence vote in March that led to this snap election, Montenegro’s administration had already been struggling with a lack of parliamentary support, exacerbated by controversies surrounding his financial practices.

Chega, which translates to "enough" in Portuguese, is noteworthy as it has become the first hard-right party to gain momentum in Portugal since the end of the Salazar dictatorship in 1974. This election marks a continued growth for the party, having previously won 18 percent of votes in the last election. Analysts cite the party's rise as being partly fueled by a growing dissent against immigration policies and economic grievances, further promising stricter immigration controls and enhanced law enforcement measures.

The return of Chega to the political forefront may portend a shifting ideological landscape in Portugal, a nation that has often distanced itself from hard-right ideologies in the past. Following the counting of overseas ballots, the final outcome will clarify the extent of Chega's impact and the potential stability—or instability—of Montenegro's leadership moving forward.