Portugal Elects Socialist as President by Landslide, but Far Right Grows

Moderate Socialist and Portuguese presidential candidate Antonio Jose Seguro votes during the presidential election, in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal, February 8, 2026. Pedro Nunes/ReutersLISBON—Moderate Socialist Antonio Jose Seguro secured a landslide victory and a five-year term as Portugal’s president in a runoff vote on Sunday, beating his rival Andre Ventura.Seguro, who received backing from prominent conservatives after the first round amid concerns over what many see as Ventura’s populist, authoritarian tendencies, becomes the first Socialist head of state in 20 years, succeeding Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a conservative, after two terms in office.