President begins post-election talks with major parties

Complicating the path to governance, the Communist Party (PCP) has already announced it will present a motion to reject the new government’s program.

The President’s meeting with the most voted party, the PSD, the leading partner of the right-wing AD coalition | Photo Rui Ochoa via Presidência da República.

In the wake of the recent legislative elections, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has begun consultations with Portugal’s main political forces, vowing to ensure political stability in the country.

Over the past three days, the President met with the leaders of PSD, PS, Chega, Iniciativa Liberal (IL), Livre, the Communist Party (PCP), the Christian Democratic Party (CDS, also part of the AD) and the Left Block as part of an exploratory round of talks to evaluate paths for government formation.

Three Main Parties Heard First

On Tuesday, the President received Luís Montenegro (AD/PSD), Pedro Nuno Santos (PS), and André Ventura (Chega), the leaders of the three largest parties.

Despite reserving two hours for each meeting, the actual discussions were significantly shorter: Montenegro stayed for an hour, Santos for just 20 minutes, and Ventura for 40 minutes.

Speaking to the press after the meetings, President Rebelo de Sousa declared, “We will have stability,” expressing optimism following the talks.

He emphasized that these are initial conversations and that additional meetings are planned, particularly after final results from overseas constituencies are confirmed on May 28, a key factor in determining whether PS or Chega is the second-largest force in Parliament.

Ventura positions himself as the “Leader of the Opposition”

André Ventura, who arrived 20 minutes late to his meeting, portrayed Chega as a responsible opposition, ready to lead an “alternative government” if necessary.

While stressing the need for political calm, “the country doesn’t need more elections,” Ventura warned that Chega’s support for stability comes with conditions.

The party, he said, will demand action on corruption, immigration, and reducing what he called “dependency on state subsidies.”

Ventura emphasized that Chega will not offer “stability at any cost,” insisting that stability must be tied to political reform.

PS calls for clarity

Outgoing PS leader Pedro Nuno Santos also called for rapid stabilization of the political landscape.

“We hope the country’s political situation becomes clear soon so we can move forward and address the people’s problems,” he told journalists.

In contrast, Luís Montenegro, leader of the center-right Democratic Alliance (AD) and likely candidate for Prime Minister, made no substantive public comments after his audience with the President, only describing the meeting as “normal.”

AD has already signaled it intends to govern without a preferred partner, negotiating law-by-law with all parties across the spectrum.

Communist Party to present rejection motion

Complicating the path to governance, the Communist Party (PCP) has already announced it will present a motion to reject the new government’s program.

With this challenge looming, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has made clear he will only appoint a Prime Minister if convinced the new executive will not “die at birth.”

This means PS or Chega will likely have to reject the PCP’s motion to allow Montenegro’s government to move forward.

The AD rules out formal alliances

Significantly, the Democratic Alliance (AD) appears to have dropped the “no means no” redline regarding Chega.

This is the impression left by remarks made by several members of the leading Social Democratic Party (PSD), including its Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel.

In an interview with CNN Portugal, Rangel ruled out the possibility of forming formal government agreements with either PS or Chega, but acknowledged that the AD “will have to make some concessions” to ensure governability.

“It doesn’t make sense to have a formal government agreement or a government backed by a parliamentary deal with either of the two parties that rank below the Democratic Alliance,” said the Social Democrat.

He then repeatedly emphasized that the AD is open to dialogue with all parties, including Chega, in respect of the voters’ will.

In fact, Rangel noted that “one of the advantages of a minority government is that flexibility, that variable geometry, which allows different segments of the electorate to be represented.”

Thus, the AD is open to negotiating “case by case” with either PS or Chega, depending on the policies at stake, in order to “reflect the preferences of different segments of the electorate.”

The Socialist Party (PS) says it is willing to take on a responsible role and engage in negotiations.

Meanwhile, André Ventura’s party insists it will only support the government if there is a formal agreement.

Liberals want a Constitutional revision

On Wednesday, the President continued consultations with Iniciativa Liberal and Livre.

Rui Rocha, leader of IL, announced plans to present a constitutional revision proposal aimed at reducing ideological bias in the Constitution and promoting a freer, more autonomous society.

Rocha said IL will play a responsible role in Parliament, supporting policies aligned with their principles and opposing those that are not.

On the potential rejection motion, Rocha dismissed it as premature: “There is no government, no program, this initiative is absurd,” he said.

Regarding collaboration with AD, Rocha left the door open for future agreements, stating IL is “open to any discussions in Portugal’s interest,” but made clear IL’s priority is defending private initiative and civil liberties.

He also took a swipe at Chega, describing it as just “another statist, dirigiste party” no different from others in its vision of government control.

Livre wants the Left to unite against populism

Following its meeting with President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at the Palácio de Belém, Livre leader Rui Tavares issued a stark warning about the risks facing Portugal’s democracy in the wake of the recent legislative elections.

Tavares urged the political left to conduct a swift but profound reflection on the election results, which saw a significant rise in support for the right and far-right, marking what he described as an unprecedented transformation in Portugal’s political landscape over the past 50 years.

“We must be aware of the abyss we may be staring into,” he warned.

He also voiced deep concern about the upcoming municipal elections, cautioning that they could entrench far-right control over large parts of the country if the left fails to act decisively.

“We cannot say the last election was a wake-up call without actually waking up,” Tavares insisted, urging progressive parties to respond with urgency and clarity.

A second key issue raised during the meeting was Iniciativa Liberal’s proposal for a constitutional revision, which Tavares sharply criticized as an ideologically driven attempt to dismantle essential democratic structures.

He warned that the proposal threatens foundational elements of the democratic state, including public broadcasting guarantees.

Using a pointed metaphor, he remarked, “We already knew Iniciativa Liberal liked chainsaws (a jab at Elon Musk and Argentina’s Javier Milei), now we know they like pouring gasoline on the fire.”

Tavares maintained that Livre had been the only party to raise early concerns about constitutional changes, which are now becoming a political reality. He called for vigilant defense of democratic values.

The President’s consultations with smaller parties will continue through the week, and he plans to reconvene with the major parties next week, after leadership changes within PS are finalized and the full makeup of Parliament becomes clear.