Moderate socialist António José Seguro secured a landslide victory and a five-year term as Portugal’s president in a runoff vote on Sunday, beating his far-right, anti-establishment rival André Ventura, exit polls and partial results showed.
A succession of storms in recent days failed to deter voters, with turnout at about the same level as in the first round on 18 January, even though three municipal councils in southern and central Portugal had to postpone voting by a week due to floods.
“The response the Portuguese people gave today, their commitment to freedom, democracy, and the future of our country, leaves me naturally moved and proud of our nation,” Seguro, 63, told reporters.
The postponement affected about 37,000 registered voters, or about 0.3% of the total, and is unlikely to influence the overall result. With nearly 70% of votes counted, Seguro garnered 64%. Ventura trailed behind at 36%, still likely to secure a much stronger result than the 22.8% his anti-immigration Chega party achieved in last year’s general election. Ballots in large cities such as Lisbon and Porto are counted towards the end.
Two exit polls placed Seguro in the 67%-73% range and Ventura at 27%-33%.
Last year, Chega became the second-largest parliamentary force, overtaking the Socialists and landing behind the centre-right ruling alliance, which garnered 31.2%.
Despite his loss on Sunday, 43-year-old Ventura, a charismatic former TV sports commentator, can now boast increased support, reflecting the growing influence of the far right in Portugal and much of Europe.
“The entire political system, across both right and left, united against me,” Ventura told reporters as he left a Catholic mass in central Lisbon. “Even so … I believe the leadership of the right has been defined and secured today. I expect to lead that political space from this day forward.“
Seguro has cast himself as the candidate of a “modern and moderate” left who can actively mediate to avert political crises and defend democratic values. He received backing from prominent conservatives after the first round amid concerns over what many see as Ventura’s populist, authoritarian tendencies.
Portugal’s presidency is a largely ceremonial role but holds some important powers, including the ability to dissolve parliament under certain circumstances. Ventura had said he would be a more “interventionist” president, advocating increased powers for the head of state.
Seguro has positioned himself as a moderate candidate who will cooperate with Portugal’s centre-right minority government, repudiating Ventura’s anti-establishment and anti-immigrant tirades.
The longstanding Socialist politician has won the support of other mainstream politicians on the left and right who want to halt the rising populist tide.
In Portugal, the president is largely a figurehead with no executive power. Traditionally, the head of state stands above the political fray, mediating disputes and defusing tensions.
However, the president is an influential voice and has some powerful tools at their disposal, being able to veto legislation from parliament, although the veto can be overturned. The head of state also possesses what in Portuguese political jargon is called an “atomic bomb”, the power to dissolve parliament and call early elections.
In May, Portugal held its third general election in three years in the country’s worst bout of political instability for decades, and steadying the ship is a key challenge for the next president.
Ventura, an eloquent and theatrical politician, has rejected political accommodation in favour of a more combative stance. One of his main targets has been what he calls excessive immigration, as foreign workers have become more conspicuous in Portugal in recent years. “Portugal is ours,” he said.
During the campaign, Ventura put up billboards across the country that said: “This isn’t Bangladesh” and “Immigrants shouldn’t be allowed to live on welfare.”
Although he founded Chega less than seven years ago, its rise in public support made it the second-largest party in Portugal’s parliament in the 18 May general election.
In March, the winner will replace the centre-right president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who has served the limit of two five-year terms.
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