Portugal Election Results: New President Elected

Seguru won about 66.8% of the votes, according to the results after counting almost all the votes.

His rival, the right-wing populist André Ventura, won about 23.5% of the vote. He has already conceded defeat in the elections.

“The Portuguese people and democracy won tonight,” Seguru said after the results were announced.

“The Portuguese are the best people in the world. (..) With a huge sense of civic responsibility and faith in our democratic values,” said the election winner.

Portuguese Prime Minister Luíš Montenegro congratulated Segura on his victory and expressed his confidence that they will be able to work well together.

This was the first time since 1986 that a runoff was necessary in Portugal’s presidential election.

The new president is scheduled to be inaugurated on March 9, replacing Marcel Rebel de Souza, who served two consecutive five-year terms, as head of state.

Although Portugal’s president has essentially only representative functions, he has the power to dissolve parliament and call early elections in times of crisis.