António José Seguro, a former Socialist minister, won Portugal’s presidential runoff election on Sunday, February 8, 2026, defeating far-right candidate André Ventura. The result marks a significant shift back to the left for the country after two decades of conservative leadership.
With 96.38% of the votes counted, Seguro secured 66.31% of the electorate, although Ventura received 33.69%, according to official results. This victory returns a left-leaning figure to the Palácio de Belém, the Portuguese presidential residence, for the first time since Jorge Sampaio left office in 2006.
Ventura conceded defeat, stating, “It seems I was unable to achieve what I set out to do, which was to win these elections.” The leader of the Chega party, Portugal’s far-right movement, added that he would congratulate Seguro once the final results are confirmed.
Even before the final tally, Seguro praised the Portuguese people, saying, “My first word is simple, the Portuguese people are the best people in the world, excellent, with a huge civic responsibility and with an attachment to democratic values.” He made the statement to journalists in Caldas da Rainha, where he resides.
Polls Predicted Seguro’s Victory
Exit polls had foreshadowed Seguro’s win, predicting he would receive between 67% and 71% of the vote. A final result at the higher end of that range would surpass the record set by Mário Soares in 1991, when he was re-elected president with 70.35% of the vote.
More than eleven million Portuguese citizens were eligible to vote in the second round of the presidential election, choosing a successor to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa after his ten years in office. The election outcome could influence Portugal’s approach to European Union policies and its role within the bloc.
(mn/efe, afp)
