Hard-right populist wins a place in a two-way runoff in Portugal’s presidential election

LISBON, Portugal (AP) - The leader of a hard-right populist party placed second in Portugal's presidential election Sunday in a stunning outcome and will face a center-left opponent in a runoff vote next month that could bring another political breakthrough for Europe's growing far-right parties, according to near-complete results.

With almost 98% of votes counted, André Ventura, leader of the Chega (Enough) party that he founded less than seven years ago, captured 24% of the vote and placed second behind center-left Socialist candidate António José Seguro who led with almost 31%. They will face off in a second-round ballot between the two top candidates on Feb. 8.

Ventura's strong showing was another milestone in Europe's shift to the far-right, as populist parties have got their hands on, or edged closer to, the levers of power in recent years.

Chega's surge in public support made it the second-largest party in Portugal's parliament last year, just six years after it was founded. Ventura and his supporters have been emboldened by the broader rise to prominence of like-minded nationalist parties across Europe, such as in France, Germany, Italy and neighboring Spain.

Nine other candidates ran in a record field in the presidential election, but none came close to the more than 50% required for a first-round victory.

The winner will replace President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who has served the limit of two five-year terms.

One of Ventura's main targets has been what he calls excessive immigration, as foreign workers have become more conspicuous in Portugal in recent years. "Portugal is ours," he says.

During the election campaign, Ventura put up billboards across the country saying, "This isn't Bangladesh" and "Immigrants shouldn't be allowed to live on welfare."

Such blatant anti-immigrant sentiment expressed in public was unthinkable in Portugal just a few years ago.

His sudden and growing presence in Portuguese politics has snatched support from the country's two main parties that have alternated in power for the past half-century: the center-right Social Democratic Party, currently in government, and the center-left Socialist Party.

Only one woman is among the candidates. Portugal has never had a female or non-white head of state.

Last May, Portugal held its third general election in three years in its worst spell of political instability for decades. Steadying the ship is a key challenge for the next president.

Ventura, the populist leader, has sought to turn immigration into a campaign issue, but voters appear more concerned about a housing crisis and the cost of living.

A law permitting euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in Portugal that parliament approved in 2022, but has been held up by constitutional objections, will likely land on the president's desk for approval.

In Portugal, the president is largely a figurehead with no executive power. Mostly, the head of state aims to stand above the political fray, mediating disputes and defusing tensions.

However, the president is an influential voice and possesses some powerful tools, being able to veto legislation from parliament, although the veto can be overturned. The head of state also possesses what in Portuguese political jargon is called an "atomic bomb" - the power to dissolve parliament and call early elections.

Political events in Portugal have little bearing on the overall direction of the European Union. It has one of the bloc's smallest economies, and its armed forces are of a modest size.

A runoff between the top two finishers on Sunday will be held on Feb. 8.

That will decide who serves a five-year term at the president's riverside "pink palace" in Lisbon.