The political situation in Portugal is in turmoil as party leaders advocate for snap elections. The President is considering either 11 or 18 May as potential dates for the elections. The main parties, including the PSD, Chega, and the Liberal Initiative, are all in favor of holding elections as soon as possible to address the current political impasse. The Chega leader even suggested a post-election agreement with the PSD, but only if Luís Montenegro is excluded from the equation.
The CDS-PP, a party that is part of the government coalition, also supports the idea of having elections on either 11 or 18 May. The party believes that reinstating good governance is crucial and blames the current political crisis on opposition parties. On the left, parties like the Left Bloc and the PCP are hopeful that snap elections will help strengthen the left-wing position in Parliament. These parties support holding elections as soon as possible, although they have slightly different preferred dates due to administrative reasons.
The Left Bloc is focused on discussing key issues such as housing, labor, and health during the electoral campaign. They hope to overcome any potential obstacles and are confident that the left can emerge stronger from the elections. The PCP, on the other hand, is following the timetable set by the President and is open to possible alliances on the left depending on how the elections play out. The Livre party leader prefers an earlier election date and is open to dialogue with the left-wing parties but has reservations about working with Luís Montenegro.
The current political crisis was triggered by a vote of no confidence in the government, which was vetoed by all opposition parties except for the Liberal Initiative. This was preceded by two motions of censure against the Prime Minister following a controversy involving Luís Montenegro and the Spinumviva family company. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a “preventive inquiry” into the PM’s family company to assess whether further investigation is warranted based on complaints received. However, based on the information collected so far, there are no grounds for a full investigation.
In response to the current situation, the President of Portugal is convening the Council of State to make a decision on whether snap elections should be held and to determine the best course of action moving forward. While none of the parties initially wanted early elections, they have all acknowledged the need for a solution to the political impasse. The potential election dates of 11 or 18 May are being considered as options for when the elections could take place, with various parties expressing their preferences. The final decision on whether to hold snap elections and when they will occur is still pending.
