Portuguese voters are on Sunday choosing a new parliament in a snap election that is expected to produce another minority government.
Polls will close at 20:00 CET with exit polls projected to be released within the following hour.
The snap election was triggered two months ago when lawmakers rejected the minority Socialist government’s spending bill and the country’s president dissolved parliament.
The centre-left Socialists and their main rivals, the centre-right Social Democratic Party, were in a tight race, opinion polls suggested.
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Here’s are the key points
- Polls close at 20:00 CET
- The outgoing Socialist Party is once more expected to come out on top but with a slim lead;
- This means it will once more likely need the support of other left-wing parties to govern;
- The far-right Chega! (Enough!) party is expected to see its support soar to about 6% from just 1.3% back in 2019.
16:03
Need a refresher on why these elections are taking place?
Never fear! We’ve got you covered.
The elections are taking place because the ruling Socialist Party, in power since 2015, failed to get its budget through parliament.
It came after their traditional allies on the left — the Communists (PCP), Greens (PEV) and the Left Bloc (BE) — declined to support it because the spending commitments were not ambitious enough.
15:52
Mid-day turnout higher than in 2019
The turnout at 12:00 local time was 23.3%, according to the government. That’s higher than for the four previous elections.
That’s despite a tenth of the electorate being under quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this month, the government ruled that voters under quarantine would be allowed to visit their local polling stations, urging them however to do so during the last opening hour of the day to minimise contact with other people.
15:41
What the Social Democrats have pledged
The centre-right party is promising income tax cuts and more help for private companies, cutting corporate tax from the current 21% to 17% by 2024.
15:40
What the Socialists have pledged
The centre-left party has promised to increase the minimum monthly wage, earned by more than 800,000 people, to €900 euros by 2026. It is currently €705 euros.
The Socialists also want to “start a national conversation” about working four days a week instead of five.
