Moderate candidate wins emphatically over a populist in presidential runoff

Center-left Socialist candidate António José Seguro celebrates after defeating far-right populist André Ventura
in the second round of Portugal’s presidential election [AP Photo]

Center-left Socialist António José Seguro scored a decisive victory over hard-right populist André Ventura in Portugal’s runoff presidential election on Sunday (yesterday, Macau time), according to official results with 99.2% of ballots counted.

Seguro secured a five-year term at Lisbon’s “pink palace” with 66.82% of the vote, against Ventura’s 33.18%.

The runoff tested the depth of support for Ventura’s confrontational style, which has resonated with a segment of voters and propelled his Chega (Enough) party to become the second-largest force in Portugal’s parliament. It also served as a barometer of public appetite for Europe’s broader rightward drift in recent years.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Seguro, writing in Portuguese on social media that “Portugal’s voice for our shared European values remains strong.”

A veteran Socialist figure, Seguro campaigned as a moderate, pledging cooperation with Portugal’s center-right minority government and rejecting Ventura’s anti-establishment and anti-immigration rhetoric. He drew backing from mainstream politicians across the political spectrum seeking to stem the rise of populism.

Portugal’s president is largely a ceremonial figure with no executive authority. Traditionally, the head of state stands above party politics, mediating disputes and easing tensions.

Still, the office carries influence and significant powers, including the ability to veto legislation – a move parliament can override – and, in what Portuguese political jargon dubs the “atomic bomb,” the authority to dissolve parliament and call early elections.

A new cycle

Portugal held its third general election in three years last May, marking the country’s most acute spell of political instability in decades. Restoring calm will be a central challenge for the next president.

Ventura, an eloquent and theatrical campaigner, rejected political accommodation in favor of a more combative approach, vowing to pursue a political “transformation” of Portugal.

“I tried to show there’s a different way … that we needed a different kind of president,” he told reporters.

Simply reaching the runoff was a milestone for Ventura and Chega, which have reshaped the political landscape. Immigration has been a central target of his campaign, as foreign workers have become more visible in Portugal in recent years.

“Portugal is ours,” Ventura declared.

Campaign billboards across the country bore slogans such as “This isn’t Bangladesh” and “Immigrants shouldn’t be allowed to live on welfare.”

Founded less than seven years ago, Chega surged to become the second-largest party in parliament in the May 18, 2025 general election.

Seguro will take office next month, replacing center-right President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who is stepping down after serving the constitutional limit of two five-year terms.

Ventura wins overseas, but not in Macau

André Ventura topped the vote in both overseas constituencies – Europe and Outside Europe – winning 51.88% to Seguro’s 48.12%.

In Macau, however, the result swung firmly the other way. Seguro won 934 votes (68.53%) among Portuguese voters in the city, while Ventura secured 429 (31.47%).

A total of 1,403 Portuguese citizens voted in Macau, 971 fewer than in the January 18 first round. Voter abstention rose sharply, from about 96% in the first round to nearly 98%.

Macau has more than 57,000 registered Portuguese voters.

Children cast ballots in mock poll

Children accompanying their parents to polling stations on Sunday were invited to cast mock ballots of their own – though the candidates were fictional.

Characters popular with children, such as Super Mario and Roblox, appeared on the ballot instead of the two real contenders. Parents said the initiative aimed to spark early interest in democratic participation.

A polling station in Lisbon hosted the activity, believed to be the first of its kind during a Portuguese election and uncommon elsewhere.

“Vote for your favorite character,” the children’s ballot read.

Catarina Barbosa, mother of eight-year-old Artur, said the exercise was a valuable lesson.

“I always like to bring him to encourage him, so that when he is 18 he doesn’t stay on the couch and also comes to vote,” she said. “This way, he feels he’s voting and fulfilling his civic duties,” she told the Associated Press.

Artur said he recognized all the characters on the mock ballot.

*with Agencies