There will be a second round in the Portuguese elections held on Sunday, January 18. Some were expected especially close and uncertain presidential electionswith 11 and the very high possibility that the result would be resolved in second round, scheduled for February 8and so it has been.
After practically all the votes were scrutinized, the socialist António José Seguro He is the candidate with the most votes, followed by the far-right Chega party, Andre Ventura.
Candidate Henrique Gouveia e Melo called António José Seguro to convey his congratulations on the results obtained on election day.
Partial count: sure leader, but the far-right is going strong
Con about 99% of the scrutiny complete according to the most recent official figures, and only a few thousand votes to count in the capital, Lisbon, there will be a second round and it is a matter of two:
- António José Seguro (Socialist Party): 31%.
- André Ventura (Partido Chega): 24%.
The rest of the candidates, such as João Cotrim de Figueiredo, Luís Marques Mendes and
Gouveia e Melo, remain below 15%.
Among the rest of the candidates with lower results who could support other candidates and join forces, Poiares Maduro announces that he will vote for António José Seguro and criticizes Ventura’s strategy.
Historical participation and a mobilized country
Election day has stood out for the influx to the polls, with rates that exceed those of recent elections in the middle of the afternoon and are approaching figures that have not been seen in years. A stake not only much higher than that registered in 2021 at the same time, but never seen for 20 years.
Keys to the political scene
Since 1974 there have not been such open presidential elections in Portugal. The polls and first results show a dispersion of votes between several candidates, with at least five with a real chance of going to the second round.
The leader of party arrives, Andre Venturaemerges as a figure with solid support, consolidating the strength of a populist right-wing movement that has grown in recent years and that has already positioned itself as the main opposition after the 2025 legislative elections.
He Socialist Party candidate, António José Seguroonce again leads the partial count, reflecting that the social democratic tradition remains strong in sectors of the electorate
More important than it seems
Although the portuguese president does not govern (responsibility that falls on the prime minister), his constitutional role includes functions of political moderation and the power to dissolve the Assembly of the Republic in serious cases, which makes this position more than symbolic.
Despite everything, the election reflects the deep social and political tensions in the country: the emergence of the populist right, the challenge for traditional parties and the perception of change among broad segments of the electorate. These elections also serve as a thermometer for the direction of the center-left in Europe and to observe how new or heterodox forces can influence institutional politics.
