Lisbon-Luís Montenegro, born in 1973 in the city of Porto, should return to the position of Prime Minister of Portugal after beating this Sunday’s legislative elections (18),. Leader of the Democratic Alliance Center-right coalition (AD), Montenegro is walking to resume power just over two months after his government overturned by a motion of confidence rejected by Parliament, which led to the convening of new elections.
Graduated in Law from the Portuguese Catholic University of Lisbon, with specialization in personal data protection, Montenegro is a lawyer and entrepreneur, as well as having a long trajectory as a parliamentary. At the age of 29, he was elected deputy for the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and became, between 2011 and 2015, leader of the party bench in Parliament, during the government of Pedro Passos Coelho. At that time, he was one of the main advocates of the rigorous fiscal austerity program imposed by the “Troika” – European Union, European Central Bank and IMF – in exchange for financial aid to contain the debt crisis.
Montenegro reached the position of Prime Minister in 2024, after the AD’s victory in that year’s elections, succeeding the socialist António Costa. However, his first term lasted only a year. In February 2025, Montenegro’s connection with Spinumviva, founded by him and his family before taking the PSD leadership.
The company, which specializes in real estate consulting and business, remained active based at the Prime Minister’s residence and using his personal phone number as contact. Reports revealed that Spinumviva received monthly payments of 4,500 euros from the Solverde Group, which operates casinos whose concessions depend on the government. The controversy was intensified by the suspicion that the company would have benefited from legislative amendments promoted by the executive himself.
Montenegro denied any conflict of interest and classified the accusations as “abusive and insulting.” Even so, political pressure increased, the opposition required the opening of a parliamentary commission of inquiry and, given the government’s resistance, the crisis culminated in a motion of confidence rejected on March 11. With this, Parliament was dissolved and new elections were summoned.
Despite the short previous term and the crisis that caused his fall, Montenegro must be reelected, reaffirming his leadership over the Portuguese right. Out of politics, he is a declared fan of Futebol Clube do Porto, club of his hometown. In his youth, he worked as a lifeguard and began his militancy in the PSD youths-where he took the first steps of a political career that now gains a new breath.
