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Portuguese Vote to Pick Premier to Oversee the Economic Rebound

A voter casts their ballot at a polling station during early voting in Porto, Portugal, on Jan. 23. — A voter casts their ballot at a polling station during early voting in Porto, Portugal, on Jan. 23.
Photographer: Patricia De Melo Moreira/AFP

By

Henrique Almeida

January 28, 2022, 5:00 AM UTC

As populism tested the ability of Europe’s mainstream parties to adapt, one country stood out as an exception: Portugal. General elections on Sunday are likely to cement its status as an oasis for the political center.

Yet it’s not without risks. Prime Minister Antonio Costa of the center-left Socialist Party has only a slight edge in some polls over the center-right party PSD led by Rui Rio.