Seguro Clinches Portuguese Presidency with Landslide Victory

António José Seguro, representing Portugal’s centre-left Socialist Party, has decisively won the presidential election, securing 66.7% of the vote compared to André Ventura of the far-right Chega party, who garnered 33.3%, according to official results with nearly all ballots counted.

Seguro, aged 63, will serve a five-year term in Lisbon. He campaigned as a moderate. He pledged cooperation with the country’s centre-right minority government. He has openly rejected Ventura’s anti-establishment and anti-immigrant rhetoric, positioning himself as a unifying figure for Portuguese politics.

The new president received broad backing from mainstream politicians determined to counter the rise of populism. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Seguro. She stated on social media: “Portugal’s voice for our shared European values remains strong.”

Approximately 11 million Portuguese citizens at home and abroad were eligible to vote in this pivotal election. Seguro had long been considered the favourite in the runoff against Ventura. The Chega party, founded in 2019, has quickly become the largest opposition force in parliament.

In the first round of voting, Seguro led with 31.1%, while Ventura received 23.52% of votes before advancing to the head-to-head runoff.

The Portuguese presidency is largely ceremonial. It carries no executive authority. Traditionally, the role is viewed as a stabilising force. It remains above party politics. The presidency acts as a mediator to resolve disputes and ease national tensions.