Presidential election in Portugal: partial results show Seguro in front and Ventura in second

Portugal goes to the polls to choose a new president in a fierce dispute Voting for the presidential election in Portugal ended this Sunday (18) at 8pm local time (5pm in Brasília), after a day of dispute between candidates from the left, center-right and extreme right, in one of the most fragmented elections in the country’s recent history. According to partial results released after the end of the count, the socialist António José Seguro leads with 30.55% of the votes, followed by the far-right candidate André Ventura, who registers 26.9%. Other competitors still appear behind, but the complete count is still ongoing, and the numbers may change. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp Socialist candidate José Seguro votes this Sunday (18), in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal. Pedro Rocha/Reuters Around 11 million Portuguese people returned to the polls less than a year after the last legislative elections, which renewed Parliament and defined the prime minister. Research indicates that the abstention rate should be between 37% and 43%, potentially making this presidential election the one with the highest participation since 2006, when Aníbal Cavaco Silva was elected. ➡️ In Portugal, the president is the head of state and performs more ceremonial functions, while the prime minister commands the government and the Executive. In times of crisis, however, the president gains more political weight: he can command the Armed Forces, dissolve Parliament, dismiss the government and call elections. The position is currently held by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, from the center right, who has completed almost a decade at the Palácio de Belém. Prevented by the Constitution from running for a third consecutive term, Rebelo de Sousa opened up space for an unprecedented run for president. If no candidate reaches more than 50% of the valid votes, a second round is scheduled for February 8, which would mark the first time in four decades that the presidential election is not decided in the first round. Candidate for Chega, on the far right, André Ventura drinks wine during the presidential campaign, on January 9, 2026. Pedro Nunes/ Reuters Although partially leading the dispute, André Ventura reaches the end of the first round with high rejection — around 60%, according to recent surveys. Experts point out that, despite this, a possible trip to the second round would represent a political victory for Ventura and Chega, expanding the party’s negotiating power in the face of the current center-right minority government. “It’s a completely open race,” José Castello Branco, professor of Political Science at the Catholic University of Lisbon, told Reuters. Tight dispute In total, eleven parties launched candidates. For the first time, three political forces reached the final stretch of the campaign in conditions of relative equality. The advance of Chega, a far-right party that became the second largest political force in the country in the last parliamentary elections, redesigned the traditionally polarized scenario between socialists and social democrats. A voting intention survey carried out by the Center for Opinion Studies and Polls (CESOP), at the country’s Catholic University, indicates the following scenario: André Ventura, leader of Chega, leads the electoral race by a small margin, with 24% of voting intentions; In second place is the socialist António José Seguro, with 23%; João Cotrim de Figueiredo, Member of the European Parliament from the center-right Liberal Initiative party, appears 19% of voting intentions; Luis Marques Mendes, from the center-right Social Democratic Party (PSD)/ Democratic Alliance (AD) coalition — which traditionally competed for the presidency with the socialists — appears only in 4th position, with 14% of the votes. Portuguese presidential candidate João Cotrim Figueiredo during a campaign event, on January 15, 2026. Pedro Nunes/ Reuters These numbers have varied in recent days, and the survey shows that a third of voters can change their mind at the last minute. This is a reflection of the political instability that Portugal has experienced in recent years, according to political scientist António Costa Pinto to the Reuters news agency. “The fragmentation of the electorate continues, making it likely that candidates from the two traditional parties will receive fewer votes than their parties obtained in last year’s parliamentary elections (in which Chega overtook the Socialists),” said the professor. Nun votes in Portugal’s presidential elections, on January 18, 2026. Pedro Nunes/ Reuters See the videos that are trending on g1 ​

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