Portugal braces for a possible 3rd election in 3 years after government calls confidence vote

LISBON, Portugal (AP) - Portugal could be headed for its third general election in three years after parliament on Friday scheduled a confidence vote on the center-right minority government, which has been under pressure for weeks over the business ties of Prime Minister Luis Montenegro. A large majority of opposition lawmakers say they will vote to remove the government from power.

The government, made up of the Social Democratic Party and its smaller ally the Popular Party, has just 80 seats in the 230-seat legislature. It has been in office for less than a year.

The government asked for parliament to schedule the confidence motion, saying it was needed to "dispel uncertainty" about the government's ability to put its policies into practice.

The two largest opposition parties, which together hold 128 seats, have said they will vote against the government in next Tuesday’s debate. Other smaller parties say they will join them.

The political crisis could consign the European Union member state of 10.6 million people to months of uncertainty amid continental challenges to security and the economy. The government is also in charge of distributing more than 22 billion euros ($24 billion) in EU development funds to Portuguese investment projects.

Political tension has gripped the country for weeks amid questions about potential conflicts of interest in the business dealings of the prime minister’s family law firm.

Montenegro, who plans to stand for reelection, has denied any wrongdoing. He said he placed control of the firm in the hands of his wife and children when he became Social Democratic leader in 2022 and has not been involved in its management.

But opposition parties have called for more detailed explanations of the firm's business. Most recently, it emerged that the firm is receiving monthly payments from a company that has a major gambling concession granted by the government.

With Tuesday's vote likely to force the government's resignation, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has said any new election would be preferable around mid-May. The head of state has the authority to call elections.

Portugal has been caught up in a rising European tide of populism, with a radical-right party called Chega (Enough) surging into third place in last year's election and potentially gathering more parliamentary seats as voters tire of going to the polls.

The Social Democrats are hoping that economic growth estimated at 1.9% last year, compared with the EU's 0.8% average, and a jobless rate of 6.4%, roughly the EU average, will persuade voters to stick with them. The center-left Socialist Party is traditionally their main rival and is the second biggest group in parliament.

The next general election in Portugal was scheduled for January 2028.