Portugal is expected to stage an early general election in May after its minority government – helmed by the scandal-plagued Prime Minister Luís Montenegro – lost a motion of confidence 142 to 88 in the country’s parliament yesterday.
The fall of the Montenegro administration means that President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will likely dissolve the parliament and organise a general election, the date of which could fall on 11 May or 18 May, based on comments he made earlier.
According to multiple media reports, the confidence vote was initiated by Montenegro last week in an attempt to put an end to what he described as “the atmosphere of permanent insinuations and intrigues” that had arisen following a political scandal relating to his family’s business.
The controversy relates to an alleged conflict of interest between the government and the consultancy firm, Spinumviva, which Montenegro established in 2021, later giving ownership to his wife and sons. The prime minister’s political opponents argue that Spinumviva had obtained payments from companies that were involved in government contracts.
In an address prior to the vote, the leader reiterated his innocence, noting that he “did not give in to any personal interest in the face of public interest.”
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Despite his plea to lawmakers “for stability,” the key opposition parties, including the left-leaning Socialist and far-right Chega parties, which have a combined total of 128 seats, voted to oust the current government.
Montenegro has made it clear that he plans to run in the upcoming race, with surveys cited by Politico indicating that the outcome of the snap election will likely mirror the one from last year, with Montenegro’s party slightly edging ahead of the Socialists.
Montenegro and his centre-right Democratic Alliance party were ushered into power after gaining a narrow victory in last April’s election, when they earned 80 out of the 230 parliament seats – enough to form a minority government.
A corruption scandal also led to the downfall of Montenegro’s predecessor, Antonio Costa, who resigned in November 2023.
Between now and the election, the outgoing government will take on a caretaker role. As Portugal prepares to take to the polls, media outlets have described yesterday’s confidence motion as a setback for the country’s political stability.
