The Socialist candidate António José Seguro has decisively won Portugal’s presidential election, defeating the hard‑right André Ventura in a runoff held on Sunday. After the count of more than 98 % of the polling districts, Seguro was close to two‑thirds of the vote, a result that, if exact, would be almost on to the decimal places. In the first round, Seguro already led with roughly 31 % of the votes, while Ventura had about 23.5 %.
The incumbent president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, is ineligible to run again because he has already served two terms. In Portugal’s semi‑presidential system the president’s role is largely ceremonial, but he retains a few key powers: he designates the prime minister in light of the election results, appoints army generals, ambassadors, attorneys general, and heads of the judiciaries, and he has the authority to declare a state of emergency, among other duties.