SOCIALIST PARTY WITH MAJORITY WIN IN YESTERDAY’S SNAP ELECTION

Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa won Portugal’s general election and will now have an absolute majority in parliament.

The result, boosted by a higher than expected turnout despite the coronavirus pandemic, comes as a surprise after the pre-election’s opinion polls, and means Portugal will have a stable government for the next 4 years.

The center-left Socialists took about 42% of the vote and increased the number of seats held in the 230-seat chamber to at least 117 from 108, based on 99% of voting districts reporting, according to the government’s election results website.

The final results will be announced after the counting of the votes coming from the consulates, where Portuguese living abroad have voted.

Now the President of the Republic will appoint António Costa as Prime Minister, who will form his Executive of Ministers and Secretaries of State – which must be accepted by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa – and after a Government program has to be discussed in the Parliament.

The new Executive should take office approximately two to three weeks after the elections, that is, in the second half of February.