Portugal’s Prime Minister Wins Vote, Far-Right Party Surges

Luis Montenegro during an election night rally in Lisbon, on May 18.Photographer: Zed Jameson/Bloomberg

Portugal’s ruling center-right coalition won a snap election Sunday in a vote that saw the far-right surging, rocking the two-party system that’s dominated the country’s political life for 50 years.

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro’s coalition got nearly 33% of the vote and increased its seats in parliament to at least 89, up from 80, early official results showed. While that’s a stronger performance than last year’s vote, it still leaves the ruling party well short of the 116 seats required for an absolute majority in the 230-seat parliament, meaning the premier will lead a minority government.