André Ventura, leader of the right-wing populist political party Chega. Photo

Although the Socialist Party secured victory by winning 11 of the 18 districts and surpassing the performance of the Democratic Alliance (PSD-CDS-PPM, EPP), which had won the general elections three months earlier, the party’s representation in the European Parliament decreased slightly from 2019, Euractiv reports on June 10th. Despite garnering more overall votes, they ended up with eight MEP seats out of Portugal’s 21.

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However, the Socialists clinched victory by the narrowest of margins over the AD (less than 40,000 votes and one percentage point), a situation that doesn’t bode well for their return to power in the short term, especially amidst a potential political crisis triggered by the rejection of the 2025 state budget.

The PS has emerged victorious in these elections, solidifying its position as Portugal’s leading political force,

said PS Secretary General Pedro Nuno Santos.

Another triumph of the European elections was the Liberal Initiative, entering the European Parliament with two MEPs, having garnered over 357,000 votes and nearly doubling its vote share from the parliamentary elections in March 2024 (9% compared to 4.9%).

However, the far-right Chega party suffered a significant setback on election night. Despite securing 18% in the legislative elections three months ago, it plummeted to 9.8%, falling short of the electoral victory repeatedly promised by its leader, André Ventura, during the campaign.

Euractiv and agencies