PULSE POINTS:
What Happened: Portugal’s Chega Party achieved its best-ever election result, securing a record vote share and challenging the country’s long-standing two-party establishment.
Who’s Involved: Chega Party, led by André Ventura; Socialist Party, led by Pedro Nuno Santos; Democratic Alliance (AD), led by Luís Montenegro.
Where & When: Portugal, during snap parliamentary elections concluded in May 2025.
Key Quote: “The system has been shaken,” said Chega lawmaker Pedro Pinto. “And we represent a governing alternative.”
Impact: The result signals a shift in Portugal’s political landscape, with Chega emerging as a significant populist force in the European Union (EU). The election outcome leaves the AD coalition short of a majority.
IN FULL:
Portugal’s populist Chega Party has achieved its strongest electoral performance to date, securing 22.56 percent of the vote in the nation’s recent snap parliamentary elections. This result, confirmed Monday, marks the end of decades-long two-party dominance in Portuguese politics.
Led by André Ventura, Chega campaigned on an anti-immigration and anti-corruption platform. Ventura described the outcome as “historic,” emphasizing a voter rejection of mass immigration policies under the sitting government. The election was the third in as many years, triggered by political scandals involving former prime ministers.
The governing Democratic Alliance (AD), led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, emerged as the largest party with 32 percent of the vote but fell short of an outright majority. Meanwhile, the Socialist Party, under Pedro Nuno Santos, finished second with 23 percent. The Socialists’ poor showing prompted Santos to announce his resignation, as the party’s vote share drew nearly level with Chega.
Despite Chega’s strong performance, Montenegro has ruled out forming a coalition with the populist party. He has instead expressed hopes of leading a minority government. The election result leaves Portugal’s political future uncertain, with overseas votes yet to break the tie between Chega and the Socialist Party.
Chega’s rise mirrors a broader populist surge in neighboring Spain and across Europe as a whole. The party had already made significant gains in last year’s elections, and its continued momentum highlights growing dissatisfaction with the political establishment.
Chega lawmaker Pedro Pinto remarked, “The system has been shaken. And we represent a governing alternative.” The results underscore a shift in Portuguese politics, with populism gaining ground against traditional parties.
Portugal, Preliminary final results:
AD-EPP: 32.7% (+2.6)
PS-S&D: 23.4% (-5.9)
CH-PfE: 22.6% (+3.7)
IL-RE: 5.5% (+0.3)
L-G/EFA: 4.2% (+0.9)
CDU-LEFT|G/EFA: 3% (-0.3)
BE-LEFT: 2% (-2.6)
PAN-G/EFA: 1.4% (-0.6)
ADN→ECR: 1.3% (-0.4)
JPP-RE: 0.3%
RIR-*: 0.2% (-0.2)
PCTP MRPP-*: 0.2%… pic.twitter.com/LbQLjSfTcT— Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) May 18, 2025
Image via Vox.
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