The decision on Portugal's future head of state is pending. According to initial projections and partial results from Sunday's presidential election, there will be a runoff between the socialist candidate Ant ónio Jos ó Seguro and the far-right populist challenger Andr è Tello. Seguro, who went into the race as the favorite, reached between 37 and 44 percent of the votes according to projections, but clearly missed the required 'absolute Mehrheit' for a victory in the first round.
His opponent Andr è Tello from the far-right party Chega achieved a notable success and will face Seguro in the second round with results between 20 and 25 percent. For the first time since the end of the dictatorship in 1974, a representative of the right wing could make it into the final selection for the highest state office. The liberal-conservative candidate Marques Mendes and the independent applicant Henrique Neto placed in the lower ranks according to current figures.
The voter turnout was estimated to be slightly above the level of previous years, which observers attribute to the polarization of the election campaign. Although the office of President in 'Portugal' is primarily linked to representative duties, it has significant powers, such as the right to dissolve parliament and appoint the Prime Minister. The decisive 'Stichwahl' is scheduled for February 1st.
