Portuguese parliament rejects confidence motion, forcing government to resign

Lisbon:  Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro lost a confidence vote, forcing his government to resign after less than a year in office.

Of the 224 lawmakers who participated, only Montenegro’s Social Democratic Party (PSD), the People’s Party (CDS-PP), and the Liberal Initiative backed him. The Socialist Party (PS), the far-right Chega, the Left Bloc (BE), the Communist Party (PCP), Livre, and PAN’s sole MP voted against him, Xinhua news agency reported.

The exact vote count wasn’t immediately available, but the speaker of parliament, Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco, said the centre-right government was defeated.

The government, a two-party alliance led by the Social Democratic party (PSD) and in power for less than a year, had just 80 seats in the current 230-seat legislature. An overwhelming majority of opposition lawmakers had vowed to vote against it.

Under Portugal’s constitution, a failed confidence vote requires the government to resign. Montenegro’s administration will now operate in a caretaker capacity, handling only essential and urgent matters.

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is expected to dissolve parliament and call snap elections, which he previously suggested could take place on either May 11 or May 18.

Montenegro initiated the confidence vote himself, following two previous confidence motions during his tenure. His leadership had come under increasing pressure due to a conflict-of-interest scandal involving a family-owned business.

As leader of the center-right Democratic Alliance, Montenegro became prime minister in April 2024 after winning the general election. However, his coalition secured only 80 seats in the 230-seat parliament, compared to the PS’s 78 seats and the far-right Chega’s 50 seats.

–IANS