Portugal calls snap election after prime minister resigns
Embattled PM Luis Montenegro’s government lost a confidence vote on Tuesday, prompting the president to dissolve parliament
Portugal’s president on Thursday announced a snap legislative vote for May 18 – the third national election in barely three years – after Prime Minister Luis Montenegro resigned over a conflict of interest dispute.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said he wanted to move quickly to avoid prolonged instability, adding in a televised address that May 18 was “the preferred date for the majority of parties”.
Rebelo de Sousa had met with party leaders on Wednesday, and earlier on Thursday called a meeting of the State Council, which is primarily made up of political leaders, for consultations before dissolving parliament.
“These elections, nobody was expecting them, nor wanting them” at a time of tense international conflicts, he said, urging parties to focus their campaigns on problems “that worry the Portuguese in their daily lives”, such as the economy and healthcare.
Montenegro stepped down on Tuesday after his minority centre-right government lost a confidence vote. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader had been battling attacks over government contracts held by his family’s companies.
The Socialist party won a majority in a legislative election held in January 2022. But dogged by scandals, the party lost its majority in a snap election held in March 2024.
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