In Portugal, the second round of the presidential elections ended not with a sharp intrigue, but with clear figures: the candidate from the near-left Socialist Party, António José Seguru, significantly prevailed over his rival, the far-right Chega leader, André Ventura. The State Broadcasting Company RTP announced the results on the night of February 9th, citing government estimates.
According to data with almost complete vote counting, 63-year-old Seguru received 66.8% of the votes, while 43-year-old Ventura received around 33.2%. Ventura admitted defeat and wished his opponent a "great time," but also openly stated that his movement and party would continue to fight for "fundamental changes" - a signal that "the game is not over."
Seguru was congratulated on his victory by the leader of the country's center-right Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Prime Minister Luís Montenegro. This congratulatory message indicates that the channels of cooperation between the new president and the government will be "open."
Now the most important calendar: Marcelo Rebelo de Souza, who has been president for two terms since 2016, is scheduled to hand over power on March 9. Official information also states that the mandate will begin on this day. Thus, the PS representative became head of state for the first time since 2006 - at that time, the second term of socialist Giorgi Sampagui had ended.
The first round of these elections took place on January 18, and for the first time since 1986, no one could get more than 50%: Seguru advanced to the second round with 31.1%, Ventura with 23.5%. This very background indicates the political "fragmentation" in the country - the frequent repetition of parliamentary elections in recent years is also cited as a sign of this instability.
Of course, in Portugal, the president is not a figure who "decides everything": he is mainly in a representative (symbolic) role. However, he has serious limitations - he can veto laws passed by parliament and, in certain cases, dissolve parliament and call early elections. Interestingly, sources have also written about how Rebelu de Souza used this authority several times in recent years.
To put it fanatically, Lisbon now has a "new captain" - but his main mission is not to score goals, but to keep the team in order. The big question that Seguru faces is: how can he strengthen political stability and trust between institutions while remaining within the framework of his symbolic position? Decisions after March 9 will show the answer.
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