The Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa, has been given a second term mandate following parliamentary elections which took place on the 6th of October. His Socialist party, which has been leading a minority government since 2015, won the election with 36.7 per cent, a boost from the 2015 election when it came second with 32.3 per cent.

Although the party scored a comfortable victory in Portugal and will now command 106 seats in the house, it still fell short of an absolute majority in the 230-seat parliament leaving it at the mercy of an alliance.

The result, however, strengthens the Socialists’ position as it now needs fewer coalition partners and will get the first chance at forming a government, unlike in the previous election.

Costa said, to cheering supporters in the early hours of Monday morning: “The Socialist Party has clearly won this election and strengthened its political position. The Portuguese want a new, stronger Socialist government, able to govern with stability.”

How did Other Parties Fare?

The Left Contraption

The Left Bloc and the Unitary Democratic Party (CDU, also popularly known as PCP-PEV) have supported Costa’s government since 2015 when the Socialists came second behind the united centre-right, a coalition between the Social Democrats and the CDS-People’s Party.

The leftist alliance ensured a socialist government was nicknamed geringonça, which according to Politico means “rickety contraption.” The results open up the possibility of a renewal of this alliance. Costa has also hinted he will reach out to the parties.

“The Portuguese like the geringonça. We are looking with our parliamentary partners to renew the political solution that the Portuguese have shown they want to continue,” Costa said.