Portugal’s government faces likely defeat, fresh collapse in confidence vote
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Portugal’s parliament is set to vote on a confidence motion in the minority centre-right government on Tuesday, with rejection likely to trigger the country’s third early general election in just over three years.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, in office for nearly a year, called the motion last Thursday after the opposition questioned his integrity over a consultancy firm he founded, now run by his sons. Montenegro denies any wrongdoing or ethical breaches related to the firm, which has contracts with private companies.
If the motion is rejected, as expected by the opposition Socialists and far-right Chega, the government will enter a caretaker role, and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will decide on a new election, possibly in mid-May.
Analysts expect a fresh vote but doubt it will deliver a strong mandate. Voters, meanwhile, express fatigue and frustration.
“This feels like a joke. No one understands why we need another election so soon,” said João Brito, a 70-year-old retiree in Lisbon.
Opinion polls suggest little shift in voter preferences since the March 2024 election, where Montenegro’s Democratic Alliance (AD) won by just 1,500 votes, securing 80 seats in the 230-seat parliament. The AD remains slightly ahead of the Socialists, who hold 78 seats.
