Portuguese head to the polls in election unlikely to yield stable government

18/5/2025 15:04

Millions of Portuguese will cast their ballots on Sunday in a third general election in as many years, though many are bracing for more uncertainty as the vote is unlikely to deliver a stable government.



Sunday's ballot was called just one year into the centre-right minority government's term after Prime Minister Luis Montenegro failed to win parliament's confidence in March in a vote he himself proposed when the opposition questioned his integrity over the dealings of his family's consultancy firm.



Montenegro has denied any wrongdoing and most opinion polls have shown voters dismissing the opposition's criticism.



Polling stations are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (0700-1800 GMT), with exit polls expected from 8 p.m. (1900 GMT).



The election, also dominated by issues such as housing and immigration, comes after a decade of fragile governments, only one of which has had a parliamentary majority but which still collapsed halfway through its term last year.



Opinion polls show Montenegro's Democratic Alliance (AD) garnering the most votes and probably a few more seats than in the previous election in March 2024, but again no parliamentary majority.