IntelBrief: Portuguese Elections Demonstrate the Sustained Momentum of Europe’s Far-Right

Bottom Line Up Front:

• After a snap general election in Portugal on Sunday failed to produce a decisive winner – none of the parties won enough seats to form a parliamentary majority – the country faces political uncertainty and a resurgent far-right.
• Although the center-right Democratic Alliance party narrowly won the Portuguese election, the far-right populist Chega party quadrupled its parliamentary seats from the previous election, rendering their political exclusion challenging.
• The ultranationalist, anti-immigrant Chega party has capitalized on the dissatisfaction of the Portuguese electorate with the mainstream parties over corruption scandals, low wage growth, and a lack of public infrastructure investment.
• The relatively rapid success of the Chega party in the Portugal reflects a broader, sustained trend throughout Europe, and may be a bellwether for the European Parliament elections in June.