Montenegro, of the centre-right Social Democratic Party (PSD), took office in March 2024 but has been mired in controversy and pressure from the opposition over a conflict of interest row involving a family company.
Earlier this week, Portuguese media reported that a service company run by Montenegro’s wife and children had contracts with several private companies including Solverde, a hotel and casino group which receives concessions from the state.
Solverde said yesterday that it had terminated the contract, and Montenegro announced that the family business would now be run and managed by his children.
The Communist Party, accusing Montenegro’s government of political and economic collusion, tabled a censure vote that took place yesterday, Montenegro’s second since his party won the largest share of the vote in legislative elections a year ago.
Although he survived the vote, Montenegro announced he would seek a vote of confidence from parliament – where he does not have an absolute majority.
The government adopted the confidence vote motion today, publishing a text following a cabinet meeting stating that it was for the “stability” of the country.
“I feel that I’m fully in office,” Montenegro said on his arrival in Brussels, where he is due to attend a summit on Ukraine.
He added that there was “a question of internal politics to be resolved” and that “if parliament has doubts about the legitimacy of the government”, then “we must abide by democracy”.
Both the far-right Chega party and the Socialist Party, which is the primary opposition, have already announced that they will vote against the government in an eventual vote of no confidence, which parliament will debate next Wednesday.
‘Unpredictability’
Portuguese conservative President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said he was working on “all scenarios” including early legislative elections that could be held on “May 11 or 18”, if the government lost the confidence vote.
“We need to move quickly” to “minimise the consequences” of this situation, said Rebelo de Sousa, who has the power to dissolve parliament and call elections.
Before making a decision, he must consult the parties and convene the council of state, a consultative body comprised of the country’s top political figures.
This situation has led to a “certain unpredictability” which is “not good for economic and political stability”, University of Lisbon political scientist Paula Espirito Santo told AFP.
The president has “in a way anticipated an outcome that might be his own interpretation” of the political crisis, but he still has the option of “asking the government to choose someone else to replace the current prime minister, without needing to dissolve parliament,” she said.
The daily newspaper Publico said in its editorial today that Montenegro had been slow to explain himself and that he saw “no political problems with holding a stake in a company” under contract with “a private company the state does business with”.
Alexandra Leitao, the president of the Socialist Party’s parliamentary group, said Montenegro would rather hold elections than “provide further clarification”.
However, the PSD’s parliamentary group president Hugo Soares said the Socialists were “seeking political squabbles and the government’s downfall”, adding that Montenegro would once again be a candidate for prime minister even if the government lost the confidence vote.
Montenegro’s predecessor, Antonio Costa of the Socialist Party, resigned in November 2023 amid an investigation into alleged influence peddling.