Centre-left candidate expected to see off far right as Portugal votes in presidential runoff

The centre-left Socialist candidate, António José Seguro, is heavily favoured to defeat the far-right populist André Ventura in Portugal’s runoff presidential election, in a vote that will test the depth of support for Ventura’s brash style of politics.Recent opinion polls suggest Seguro will collect twice as many votes as Ventura in the head to head on Sunday between the two top candidates in last month’s first round of voting, when none of the 11 runners captured the more than 50% of the vote required for victory.António José Seguro surrounded by flag-waving supporters at a campaign event in Porto. Photograph: Rita Franca/ReutersHowever, making it through to the runoff is already a milestone for Ventura and his Chega (Enough) party, which has quickly grown into a significant force in Portuguese politics during a wider European shift to the right .Polling stations opened at 8am local time on a mostly overcast day and were scheduled to close 12 hours later, when Portuguese broadcasters were expected to publish exit polls. Most official results are expected by 11pm. Eleven million Portuguese are eligible to vote.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.André Ventura looks on during a campaign stop in Alcacer do Sal. Photograph: Pedro Nunes/ReutersHowever, 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 surge 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.