Photo: Antonio Jose Seguro
Antonio Jose Seguro of the centre-left Socialist Party has secured a landslide victory and a five-year term as Portugal’s president in a run-off vote, beating his far-right, anti-establishment rival, Andre Ventura, according to partial results.
With 95 percent of votes counted, 63-year-old Seguro has garnered 66 percent. Ventura trailed at 34 percent, still likely to secure a much stronger result than the 22.8 percent his anti-immigration Chega party achieved in last year’s general election. Ballots in large cities such as Lisbon and Porto are counted towards the end, News.az reports
Two exit polls have placed Seguro in the 67-73 percent range, and Ventura at 27-33 percent.
A succession of storms in recent days has failed to deter voters, with turnout at about the same level as in the first round on January 18, even though three municipal councils in southern and central Portugal had to postpone voting by a week due to floods. The postponement affected some 37,000 registered voters, or about 0.3 percent of the total, and is unlikely to influence the overall result.
Portugal’s presidency is a largely ceremonial role, but it holds some key powers, including the ability to dissolve parliament under certain circumstances.
Ventura, 43, who had trailed Seguro in opinion polls, had argued that the government’s response to the fierce gales and floods was “useless” and called for the entire election to be postponed.
However, the authorities rejected the demand.
Seguro, during his last campaign rally on Friday, accused Ventura of “doing everything to keep the Portuguese from turning out to vote”.
Despite his loss on Sunday, Ventura, a charismatic former television sports commentator, can now boast increased support, reflecting the growing influence of the far right in Portugal and much of Europe. He is also the first extreme-right candidate to make it through to a run-off vote in Portugal.
Meanwhile, Seguro has cast himself as the candidate of a “modern and moderate” left, who can actively mediate to avert political crises and defend democratic values. He received backing from prominent conservatives after the first round amid concerns over what many see as Ventura’s populist, hardline tendencies.
But Prime Minister Luis Montenegro – whose minority centre-right government has to rely on support from either the Socialists or the far right to get legislation through parliament – declined to endorse either candidate in the second round.
While the role is largely ceremonial, the head of state has the power to dissolve parliament and call early elections.
The new president will succeed outgoing conservative Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in early March.
Biography of António José Seguro
António José Seguro is a Portuguese politician best known for his long association with Portugal’s Socialist Party and for shaping its modern social democratic identity. Born on March 11, 1962, in Penamacor, central Portugal, Seguro grew up during a period when the country was consolidating its democracy after decades of authoritarian rule. This political environment played a formative role in shaping his commitment to democratic institutions, social justice, and European integration.
Seguro studied law at the University of Lisbon, where he became active in student politics and youth movements linked to the Socialist Party. His early engagement provided a foundation for a steady rise within party structures. In the 1980s and 1990s, he emerged as a prominent figure in the Socialist Youth organization, gaining a reputation as a disciplined organizer and consensus builder rather than a populist campaigner.
He entered national politics as a member of the Portuguese parliament, where he served multiple terms. Seguro later joined the European Parliament, representing Portugal at a time when the country was deepening its role within the European Union. His work in Brussels focused on social policy, workers’ rights, and institutional reform, reinforcing his image as a pro European social democrat.
Seguro became leader of the Socialist Party in 2011, following an electoral defeat that pushed the party into opposition. During his leadership, he sought to reposition the party as a responsible alternative government amid Portugal’s sovereign debt crisis. He emphasized fiscal discipline combined with social protection, arguing that economic recovery should not come at the expense of social cohesion.
Although his tenure as party leader was marked by internal debate and electoral challenges, Seguro remains a significant figure in Portuguese politics. He is widely regarded as a symbol of institutional continuity within the Socialist Party and as a politician whose career reflects Portugal’s broader democratic and European journey.
News.Az
By Faig Mahmudov
