The News
Portugal’s center-right government collapsed on Tuesday after losing a confidence vote, with the country now likely to face its third general election in less than four years.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, who led a minority government for 11 months, has faced an ethics scandal over his alleged failure to divest shares in his family business.
Montenegro is expected to call a snap election for mid-May, in which he will need to contend with rising anti-immigrant sentiment, an energised far-right, and pressure from Washington to boost defense spending.
“Even though the country does not understand why we are heading to elections [in May] in the midst of a very difficult international context, I believe it is better to have a clear resolution in the next two months rather than a year of constant instability,” he said.
The accusations against Montenegro have ”reinforced public perceptions of widespread corruption in Portuguese politics,” the Financial Times wrote: A 2024 survey by Eurobarometer found that 96% of Portuguese citizens believe corruption is prevalent in their country, the second highest share in Europe.