Who is Luis Montenegro's new prime minister?
The moderate right-wing leader, who is preparing to head a minority government, is a reserved and stubborn man, according to those close to him.
Democratic Alliance (AD) leader and new Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, during a meeting with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at Belém Palace, in Lisbon, March 18, 2024.
Agence France-Presse/Patricia de Mello Moreira
He was appointed on the night of Wednesday to Thursday by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa after the completion of the counting of the last votes from abroad. Moderate right-wing leader Luis Montenegro becomes Prime Minister of Portugal after eight years of socialist rule. This trained lawyer and experienced parliamentarian, but with no government experience, succeeds Antonio Costa, who has been in power since the end of 2015.
The task will not be easy for this reserved 51-year-old man. In the legislative elections that took place on March 10, his Democratic Alliance party won 28.8% of the votes and 80 deputies out of a total of 230. This is a number far from the threshold of 116 elected officials, meaning an absolute majority. Therefore, he will rule without a majority, and will have to deal with the extreme right (Chiga), which has now become the third political force in the country, after the socialists.
There is no alliance with Chiga
As the Spanish newspaper pointed out “El Pais”The results of the “Portuguese vote abroad confirmed the political shift in Portugal to the right and the development of radical populism.” Chega's influence was “particularly strong in Brazil, where he received 24% of the vote, benefiting from the support of the Bolsonarians.”
“In the European electoral district, The far right won in Switzerland And Luxembourg, while Spain is the country with the worst results.” Nothing scares Luis Montenegro, the notoriously stubborn son of Porto, who repeated several times after his victory that he would not lead Portugal with the support of the far right, despite his impressive progress.
Outgoing Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa at a European Council meeting in Brussels, Belgium, March 21, 2024.
Keystone/EPA/Olivier Matisse
This powerfully built man, who will present his government next Wednesday, began his political career at the local level, in Espinho, a seaside resort located about twenty kilometers from Porto, where he still lives with his wife and two children. Elected as an MP at the age of 29, the huge sports fan rose through the ranks of the centre-right Social Democratic Party (PSD), becoming head of the party's parliamentary group during his last term in power, between 2011 and 2015.
Defender of austerity
Although he is honest and competent, he has had some failures and most commentators believe he is doomed to supporting roles. After becoming head of the Social Democratic Party a few months after the Socialist Party won the January 2022 elections, Luis Montenegro, who championed the austerity remedy that Portugal negotiated in exchange for an international financial bailout, risked a two-year layoff in the country. opposition.
The sudden resignation of Antonio Costa, followed by a corruption case, allowed this man in whom “power is exercised with certain discretion” to run earlier than expected, against the Socialists who did not have enough time to regroup around a new leader. Here he is pushed to the front in a role that may force him to come out of his reserve.
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