LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal’s centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) has extended its lead according to a new opinion poll ahead of Sunday’s general election, but it still looks like falling far short of the parliamentary majority needed to form a stable government.
The survey by pollster Lisbon’s Catholic University, released by broadcaster RTP late on Thursday, put support for Prime Minister Luis Montenegro’s AD at 34%, up from 32% in the same poll a week ago.
Support for AD’s main rival, the centre-left Socialist Party (PS), dropped to 26% from 28%.
However, even that result would leave the AD unable to form a stable government as it would fail to secure a parliamentary majority, which can only be achieved with at least 42% of the vote.
The March 2024 general election ended with the AD and PS neck-and-neck on 28% and 27% of the vote, respectively, which led to a minority AD government.
Montenegro lost a parliamentary confidence vote two months ago after the opposition questioned his integrity over the dealings of his family’s data protection consultancy, triggering the third election in just over three years. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Far-right party Chega, with whom Montenegro refuses any deals, is steadily polling in third place at 19%, above last year’s result of 18% even in the wake of scandals involving several of its senior party members.
Liberal Initiative, with which AD shares similar views on some economic issues, is polling at 7%, slightly higher than a year ago, but not enough for a potential alliance between the two to achieve a full majority.
The margin of error in the poll, which surveyed 1,741 people from May 6 to May 13, was 2.2%.
(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; Editing by Catarina Demony and Hugh Lawson)
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