The polls in Portugal opened at 8 am (5 am Brasília time) this Sunday (8) in the first second round of the country’s presidential elections in 40 years. The vote takes place amid growing political fragmentation.
Left-wing candidate António José Seguro is expected to win in the second round of the Portuguese presidential elections, according to opinion polls. He received the support of important conservatives to prevent the victory of the right-wing candidate, André Ventura.
As Seguro and Ventura ended their campaigns in , all polls indicated that Seguro would obtain between 50% and 60% of the vote, approximately double Ventura’s percentage. About two-thirds of those interviewed said they would never vote for Ventura.
Ventura, a charismatic former sports commentator, said he was “stunned” by the center-right’s support for Seguro. However, the vote is expected to further expand its political influence, reflecting the rise of the far right across Europe.
It comes at a time when the Iberian Peninsula is being battered by Storm Marta, the latest in a series of storms in recent weeks that have brought heavy rain, thunder, snow and intense winds.
In Portugal, heavy rains forced three cities to postpone the presidential vote on Sunday (8) until next week. Authorities mobilized more than 26,500 rescuers to deal with the impacts.
Although it is a largely ceremonial position, it carries significant political weight in times of crisis, as the head of state can dissolve parliament, dismiss the government, call early elections and veto laws.
The conservative president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has been in office since 2016 and is constitutionally prevented from running for a third consecutive five-year term. He used his power to call early elections three times, in 2021, 2023 and 2025.
