LISBON, Portugal
Portugal will hold an early general election on May 18th, the president announced after dissolving parliament late Thursday.
This will be Portugal's third
election in just over three years.
President Marcelo Rebelo de
Sousa urged voters to perform their civic duty, while acknowledging the
difficulties the country is facing.
The announcement comes
after Prime
Minister Luis Montenegro lost a confidence vote on Tuesday, forcing a
collapse of his government. He will now act in a caretaker
capacity until a new government is formed.
The confidence vote was called
after Montenegro became embroiled in a conflict of interest scandal involving
his family's law firm. He continues to deny any wrongdoing.
Montenegro has insisted he
will run in the next elections, but experts believe his failure this week will
have soured voters.
The last elections came in
March of 2024, almost exactly one year before the collapse of the current
government.
Similarly, that election was
called due to a corruption controversy: Socialist leader
Antonio Costa resigned due to a graft investigation involving
his chief of staff. Costa himself, however, was not accused of any wrongdoing.
Some surveys show the
opposition Socialists with a slight lead over Montenegro's coalition, but most
place both at around 30%, suggesting there would be little difference from the
last elections.
Despite record voter turnout
last year, abstentions are expected to increase this time in response to
successive failed governments.
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