Centre-left candidate poised to comfortably win Portuguese presidency

1 hour agoIan AikmanEPAAntónio José Seguro is set to defeat far-right populist André Ventura in a landslide victoryCentre-left candidate António José Seguro is poised to comfortably beat his far-right rival to the Portuguese presidency after a run-off vote. With 95% of votes counted, Seguro has won 66%, with the leader of the far-right Chega (Enough) party, André Ventura, trailing behind on 34%.The two men went head-to-head in a campaign at times overshadowed by the deadly storms that has lashed the country in recent days.Seguro, 63, had been backed by politicians on both sides of the aisle, with several conservative figures voicing support for the moderate socialist to see off his far-right opponent.Thousands of self-declared "non-socialists" had signed an open letter backing Seguro for president, including former conservative ministers. The former Socialist Party leader is now set to succeed the conservative Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa as president.The role of president in Portugal is largely ceremonial, but it comes with some key powers – including the so-called "atomic bomb" ability to dissolve parliament and call snap elections in certain circumstances – as well as the power to veto legislation, though this can be overturned.Despite his loss on Sunday, Ventura's position in second place reflects the rapid ascent of his party, which became the second largest in Portugal's parliament last year – just six years after Chega was formed in 2019.Portugal's centre-right Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has previously denounced Ventura – a 43-year-old former football pundit – as "xenophobic, racist and demagogic". But the prime minister chose not to support Seguro's run for president, instead declining to endorse either candidate.