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Portugal’s newly reappointed Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has ruled out constitutional reform in the near future, something demanded by the far-right Chega party which finished second in the country’s elections earlier this month.
On Thursday, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa confirmed Montenegro as the leader of Portugal’s 25th government, following the end of the vote counting process.
Montenegro’s Democratic Alliance (AD) won 91 seats, while Chega came second with 60 and the Socialist Party (PS) finished third with 58.
“The appointment and inauguration of the government will take place after the publication of the final election results and the constitutive meeting of the new legislature of the Assembly of the Republic,” the president said in a statement.
Speaking shortly after his appointment, Montenegro said he would dedicate himself in the coming days to forming a minority government.
The prime minister, who also led the last government, confirmed that constitutional revision “is not a government priority”.
“Later on, we’ll be able to discuss this issue. We’re not going to do it any time soon and so we’re not prepared to entertain that discussion,” he told journalists.
Instead, his new government would focus on plans to grow the economy, improve public services and transform the national health service, he said.
Chega and PS vow to ensure government’s viability
Speaking to the media after meeting with the president, both Carlos César, from the PS, and André Ventura, from Chega, guaranteed that they would make an AD government viable.
César noted that “the will of the people must be respected”, while Ventura said he “will not support a motion to reject the government’s programme”.
Montenegro’s appointment came after the final results of the parliamentary elections were released late on Wednesday, once the votes cast by Portuguese citizens abroad had been counted.
By finishing second, Chega upset the traditional dominance of the centre-right and the centre-left in Portuguese politics.
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