The right, represented by the Democratic Alliance, won the legislative elections, which took place on Sunday, by a narrow margin against the Socialist Party. The far right, Chiga, comes in third place.
Within five years, the far right has consolidated its place in the Portuguese political scene. Chiga obtained 18% of the votes during the legislative elections that took place on Sunday, thus becoming the third political force for a party that has so far only had one representative.
Ricardo Borges de Castro, an analyst at the European Policy Center, believes that this success is an indication of voter dissatisfaction with traditional parties and the continuation of the international populist wave.
“Portugal is no exception to the trend observed in some European countries, where the populist, radical and far-right are making progress. I don't know if all the 1.1 million people who voted for Chiga recognize themselves in the values of this far-right political family. But it is definitely a protest vote because there is a lot of discontent in the country“, he explains.
If this trend continues, Portugal is preparing to open a new chapter in its political history during the European elections next June. The country can contribute to strengthening the far right in the European Parliament.
“I expect Chiga to be elected to the European Parliament, which does not happen today, and to become a force to be reckoned with in the European Parliament. This is also the trend that we have observed in recent years in the European Parliament, namely the weakening of center-right and left-wing parties and the gradual growth of extreme parties.“, predicts Ricardo Borges de Castro.
The right-wing Democratic Alliance coalition won Very small margin Voting on Sunday against the Socialist Party. This change in the majority in Lisbon will have an impact on the European Council, which brings together the heads of state and government of the European Union.
“If the Democratic Alliance is confirmed to form a government, there will only be four Prime Ministers from the Socialist Party, and this will clearly have consequences for Portuguese politics in the European Union.“, explains Ricardo Borges de Castro.
However, the formation of the next Portuguese government is expected to be difficult. The right promises not to cooperate with the extreme right. But the Democratic Alliance does not have a majority and the support of the Liberals will not be enough to obtain the necessary number of seats.
