Portugal elects socialist as president but far-right rival takes record vote share

The Guardian - World NewsEN 4 min read 100% complete by Sam Jones in Madrid, and agencyFebruary 9, 2026 at 09:16 AM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

In Portugal's presidential election on Sunday, socialist António José Seguro defeated far-right candidate André Ventura. Seguro won with 66.8% of the vote, while Ventura secured 33.2%, a record share for his Chega party. The election, which proceeded despite recent storm disruptions, saw cross-party support for Seguro to prevent a Chega victory. Ventura claimed his party is now the main force on the right and will soon govern Portugal, despite accusations of the political system uniting against him. Chega's campaign focused on immigration, and their vote share exceeded their performance in the previous general election. European leaders, including Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen, congratulated Seguro and praised Portugal's democratic resilience.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

France 30% Lisbon 30% European Union 40% Luís Montenegro 40% Emmanuel Macron 50% Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa 50% Democratic Alliance 50% Ursula von der Leyen 50% Chega ×580% Portugal ×490% António José Seguro 90% André Ventura ×590%

Keywords

presidential election 100% far-right 80% andré ventura 70% antónio josé seguro 70% socialist 70% chega 70% portugal 60% record vote share 50% immigration 50% european values 40%