Portugal: Luis Monteiro Tasked with Forming New Government

The 52-year-old Luis Monteiro has been given the mandate to form a new government by Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Thursday, May 29th. This comes eleven days after the national elections held on May 18th. The center-right Democratic Alliance led by Monteiro emerged victorious but fell short of securing a parliamentary majority in Portugal. They secured 91 out of 230 seats, increasing their strength but falling far from the desired 116 seats. Monteiro rejected the idea of a broad coalition and emphasized collaboration with all political parties. He will primarily deal with the far-right Chega party, which gained prominence as the largest opposition party with 60 seats, pushing the Socialist Party to third place with 58 seats. President Rebelo de Sousa met yesterday evening with leaders of the three largest parties based on parliamentary representation. Andre Ventura, head of the far-right faction, assured the President that they would lead a ‘responsible’ opposition without desiring further political crisis. Meanwhile, Carlos Sesar, leader of the Socialist Party, acknowledged it was natural for Monteiro to be appointed Prime Minister given the election results. Following the third parliamentary elections since 2022, Portuguese parties are already preparing for upcoming local elections this fall and presidential elections in early 2026.