The competition was divided into two rounds, in the first of which Seguro took first place with 31.1% of the votes, while Ventura received 23.52%. With this victory, Seguro becomes the first socialist to hold the presidency of Portugal in the last two decades. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, expressed her congratulations to Seguro, emphasizing that Portugal's support for common European values "remains strong."
Although Ventura significantly lagged behind Seguro, his result was historic for his party, founded in 2019, which now holds the position of the largest opposition force in parliament. Ventura, congratulating his opponent, noted that the right-wing forces are strengthening their positions and will soon be able to govern the country.
The President of Portugal is elected for a term of five years. Although the main functions of this role are representative in nature, presidents have the right to appoint the head of government, impose vetoes, and even dissolve parliament.
The elections took place against the backdrop of recovery from the devastating Hurricane "Kristin," which struck the country at the end of January, claiming the lives of six people and leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity.
In his election program, Ventura emphasized the need to tighten immigration policies, while Seguro highlighted that migration is an economic necessity, while acknowledging the need for improved regulation in this area.
