Antonio José Seguro (Photo: JOSE COELHO / EPA)

On Sunday, February 8, the second round of the presidential election was held in Portugal, with the Socialist candidate Antonio Jose Seguro winning, beating his rival from the far-right Chega ("Enough") party, Andre Ventura. This was reported by RTP, Euronews and Reuters.

The Socialist Party candidate Seguro won 66.82% of the vote, while 33.18% of voters cast their ballots for Ventura. These are the results after 99.39% of the votes have been counted.

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Infographic: rtp.pt
Infographic: rtp.pt

In the first round of the election, Seguro received 31.1% of the vote, while Ventura received 23.52%.

seguru, 63, positions himself as a candidate from the "modern and moderate" left who can actively mediate in preventing political crises and defend democratic values. He also rejects Ventura's "anti-establishment and anti-immigrant rhetoric." Seguro is the first socialist head of state in 20 years.

Since 2016, the president of Portugal has been a representative of the center-right Marcelo Rebelo de Souza, who was re-elected for a second term in 2021.

The Chega party, led by Ventura, 43, is now the largest opposition force in the country's parliament.

In Portugal, the position of president is largely nominal, with no executive power. Traditionally, the head of state has remained above party politics, acting as a mediator to resolve disputes and ease tensions.

The conservative support for Segura, as well as Ventura's high rejection rate, may indicate that even if Chega eventually wins the next general election, a potential centrist alliance will prevent him from governing, Reuters notes.

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