António José Seguro Expected to Win Portuguese Presidency in Landslide

Centre-left candidate António José Seguro is poised to comfortably beat his far-right rival André Ventura in the Portuguese presidential election, with recent counts showing Seguro leading with 66% of the vote compared to Ventura's 34%.

The run-off campaign occurred against the backdrop of severe storms, which disrupted voting activities in some regions. Nevertheless, with 95% of votes counted, Seguro's victory seems almost assured.

Seguro, who is 63 years old, garnered bipartisan support, with many conservative figures rallying behind him to safeguard against the rise of the far-right. Notably, thousands of self-identified non-socialists signed an open letter endorsing Seguro, including former conservative ministers.

Set to succeed the conservative Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Seguro's role will be largely ceremonial—though he retains crucial powers such as the ability to dissolve parliament and call snap elections under certain conditions.

Despite his defeat, Ventura's strong second-place showing signals the swift rise of his Chega party, which has only been active since 2019 and is now the second largest in the Portuguese parliament.

Portugal's centre-right Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has labeled Ventura's rhetoric as xenophobic, racist and demagogic but opted not to endorse any candidate in the election.

The ongoing challenges from Storm Leonardo, which has caused significant flooding and evacuations, led to voting being postponed in the areas hardest hit by the weather.