World
Portuguese Center-Right Coalition Ends Socialists’ 8-Year Reign; Populist Party Soars
In the latest demonstration of a broad swing to the political right among the peoples of Europe, a tight parliamentary election in Portugal has ended with the Socialist Party conceding that its 8-year grip on power has ended. A center-right coalition emerged with a thin edge, while a populist, anti-immigration, tough-on-crime party emerged as a major force.
With 99% of votes tallied, the center-right AD coalition had 79 seats to the Socialists’ 77. But the biggest storyline is the phenomenal surge by the populist Chega party, which is suddenly the third-largest in Portugal, despite having been founded less than five years ago.
