Socialists conceding in Portuguese election seen as bellwether for Europe

[brooklynite]

Source: Washington Post

The ruling Socialists conceded defeat in one of the closest elections in Portuguese history, saying they would not challenge the victory of a center-right alliance in a vote that also saw major gains for the far right in one of Europe’s most reliably liberal countries.
With more than 99 percent of the vote counted and the highest turnout in three decades, the center-right Democratic Alliance (AD) — led by the Social Democrats — and the center-left Socialists were separated by 2,058 votes, with both hovering near 29 percent. The far-right Chega Party, meanwhile, was overperforming in third with 18 percent, more than doubling its 2022 result.

Exit polls released after balloting stations closed on Sunday had suggested a clear center-right victory. But as the tallies were counted, official results reflected a photo finish — in part because of the extraordinary inroads made by the far right. In fact, the Socialist concession oddly came just before the party pulled slightly ahead again in the official count with less than 1 percent of the vote to go, though its leader said an analysis of outstanding ballots suggested his party would lose.

By conceding, the Socialists, who have ruled since 2015, appeared to fend off the possibility that the center-right could break its pledge not to go into coalition with Chega to form a government. Instead, the center-right Social Democrats appeared poised to forge a minority government with the aid of a party of fiscal conservatives that landed in fourth place.

...snip...

In Portugal, a country of 10.3 million, voters have been searching for an antidote to political corruption scandals, a housing crisis, high inflation and low wages. The election came four months after the Socialist government collapsed amid an influence-peddling investigation, and as the center-right Social Democrats faced their own financial scandal that forced the resignation of two party officials.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/10/portugal-election-2024-results/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

[PortTack]

1. Center right and conservative in the EU and UK are nothing like the crap we have here.

[brooklynite]

2. " The far-right Chega Party, meanwhile, was overperforming in third with 18 percent"

….: more than doubling its 2022 result.”

[Elessar Zappa]

3. I'm not familiar with Portugal but

in most Western European countries even the far right is more liberal economically than our Republicans. What they share with them is social conservatism, xenophobia, etc.