Antonio Jose Seguro of the center-left Socialist Party (PS) won the first round of Portugal’s presidential elections on Sunday. With more than 99 percent of votes counted, Seguro received 31.1 percent, beating Andre Ventura, the leader of the right-wing populist Chega party, who took 23.5 percent, reports Politico, citing data from the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The candidate of the Liberal Initiative party, Joao Cotrim de Figueiredo, came in third with 16 percent, followed by former Naval Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, with 12.4 percent and Luís Marques Mendes, former president of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), with 11.4 percent.
If the poll results are confirmed, the second round of the presidential elections will be held on Feb. 8, in which Seguro and Ventura will face off.
Researcher Harb Jad Marcell says the election reflects voters’ disillusionment with the traditional two-party system of PS and the center-right PSD, according to Harb Jad Marcell.
This year’s elections in Portugal are the first in 40 years in which a second round of voting will likely be necessary to elect a president.
Right-wing leaders and politicians raced to congratulate Ventura, with Jordan Bardella, the president of France’s National Rally, writing: Enough! That’s enough! A hope is rising for Portugal: congratulations to @AndreCVentura, who qualifies tonight for the second round of the presidential election!”
🇵🇹 Chega ! Ça suffit ! Un espoir se lève pour le Portugal : félicitations à @AndreCVentura, qui se qualifie ce soir au second tour de l’élection présidentielle ! pic.twitter.com/OYR3dw8AYM
— Jordan Bardella (@J_Bardella) January 18, 2026Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also celebrated the news.
“Congratulations,@AndreCVentura, on reaching the second round in the presidential election. The Portuguese people have sent a clear message: patriots across Europe are on the rise. Força na segunda volta!” he we wrote on X.
🇭🇺🇵🇹 Congratulations, @AndreCVentura, on reaching the second round in the presidential election. The Portuguese people have sent a clear message: patriots across Europe are on the rise. Força na segunda volta!
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) January 18, 2026
