Portugal's election brings another minority government and a far-right rise

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal’s president was due to convene the country’s political parties for consultations on Monday, after a general election delivered another minority government as well as a strong showing by populist party Chega (Enough) that added momentum to Europe’s shift to the far-right.

The center-right Democratic Alliance, led by the Social Democratic Party, captured 89 seats in the 230-seat National Assembly to win Sunday’s ballot. The outcome leaves it without a parliamentary majority, however, and vulnerable to opposition parties that ousted it two months ago in a confidence vote after less than a year in power.

Portugal’s third general election in three years provided little hope for ending the worst spell of political instability for decades in the European Union country of 10.6 million people.

“The Portuguese don’t want any more early elections,” Luis Montenegro, the Democratic Alliance leader and incoming prime minister, said late Sunday in an appeal for opposition parties to let him serve a full four-year term.

“We all have to be able to speak to each other and put the national interest first,” he said.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who has no executive power, is due to consult parties before inviting the election winner to form a government.

Chega’s result shook up the traditional balance of power in a trend already witnessed elsewhere in Europe with parties such as France’s National Rally, the Brothers of Italy, and Alternative for Germany, which are now in the political mainstream.

Chega leader Andre Ventura has appeared at events with the leaders of those parties in recent years.

For the past 50 years, the Social Democrats and the center-left Socialist Party have alternated in power in Portugal.

Chega collected the same number of seats as the Socialists — 58 — and could yet claim second place when four remaining seats decided by voters abroad are attributed in coming days.

“The two-party system is over,” Ventura, a lawyer and former soccer pundit, said.

Chega competed in its first election just six years ago, when it won one seat, and has fed off disaffection with the more moderate traditional parties.

Campaigning under the slogan “Save Portugal,” it describes itself as a nationalist party and has focused on curbing immigration and cracking down on corruption.

The Socialists, meanwhile, are without a leader after Pedro Nuno Santos said he was standing down after the party’s worst result since 1987.

The Democratic Alliance, which also includes the smaller Popular Party, lost a confidence vote in parliament in March as opposition lawmakers teamed up against it. That triggered an early election, which had been due in 2028.

The confidence vote was sparked by a political storm around potential conflicts of interest in the business dealings of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s family law firm. Montenegro has denied any wrongdoing.

Corruption scandals have dogged Portuguese politics in recent years, helping fuel the rise of Chega. But the party has recently fallen foul of its own lawmakers’ alleged wrongdoing. One is suspected of stealing suitcases from the Lisbon airport and selling the contents online, and another allegedly faked the signature of a dead woman. Both resigned.

Chega owes much of its success to its demands for a tighter immigration policy that have resonated with voters.

Portugal has witnessed a steep rise in immigration. In 2018, there were fewer than a half-million legal immigrants in the country, according to government statistics. By early this year, there were more than 1.5 million, many of them Brazilians and Asians working in tourism and farming.

Thousands more lack the proper documents to be in Portugal. The Democratic Alliance government announced two weeks before the election that it was expelling about 18,000 foreigners living in the country without authorization. Though such a step is routine, the timing drew accusations that it was trying to capture votes from Chega.

A housing crisis has also fired up debate. House prices and rents have been soaring for the past 10 years, due in part to an influx of white-collar foreigners who have driven up prices.

House prices jumped another 9% last year, said the National Statistics Institute, a government body. Rents in and around the capital Lisbon, where around 1.5 million people live, last year saw the steepest rise in 30 years, climbing more than 7%, the institute said.

The problem is compounded by Portugal being one of Western Europe’s poorest countries.

The average monthly salary last year was around 1,200 euros ($1,340) before tax, according to the statistics agency. The government-set minimum wage this year is 870 euros ($974) a month before tax.

"The hard-right populist party Chega" leader Andre Ventura gestures while addressing media and his supporters, following Portugal's general election, in Lisbon, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)

"The hard-right populist party Chega" leader Andre Ventura holds a Portugal's flag following Portugal's general election, in Lisbon, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)

Incumbent Prime Minister and leader of the center-right Social Democratic Party Luis Montenegro reacts with his supporters, following Portugal's general election, in Lisbon, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

"The hard-right populist party Chega" leader Andre Ventura gestures before addressing media and his supporters, following Portugal's general election, in Lisbon, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)

"The hard-right populist party Chega" leader Andre Ventura holds a Portugal's flag following Portugal's general election, in Lisbon, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)

Socialist Party secretary general Pedro Nuno Santos arrives to address supporters and media, following Portugal's general election, in Lisbon, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)

Supporters of the center-right ruling coalition of Prime Minister Luis Montenegro react to exit polls following Portugal's general election, in Lisbon, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Socialist Party secretary general Pedro Nuno Santos holds his ballot when voting in Portugal's general election at a polling station in Lisbon, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

A child watches a voter fill their ballot in Portugal's general election at polling station in Lisbon, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)

Andre Ventura, leader of the populist right-wing party Chega casts his ballot in Portugal's general election at polling station in Lisbon, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)

A voter fills her ballot in Portugal's general election at polling station in Espinho, Portugal, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)

Socialist Party secretary general Pedro Nuno Santos holds his ballot when voting in Portugal's general election at a polling station in Lisbon, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Incumbent Prime Minister and leader of the center-right Social Democratic Party Luis Montenegro casts his ballot in Portugal's general election at polling station in Espinho, Portugal, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)

A voter holds her ballot during voting in Portugal's general election at a polling station in Lisbon, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)

Incumbent Prime Minister and leader of the center-right Social Democratic Party Luis Montenegro picks up his ballot to vote in Portugal's general election at polling station in Espinho, Portugal, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)

Incumbent Prime Minister and leader of the center-right Social Democratic Party Luis Montenegro casts his ballot in Portugal's general election at polling station in Espinho, Portugal, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)

Socialist Party secretary general Pedro Nuno Santos waves to supporters during an election campaign action in Moscavide, on the outskirts of Lisbon, Friday, May 16, 2025, ahead of the May 18 general election. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Incumbent Prime Minister and leader of the center-right Social Democratic Party Luis Montenegro gestures to supporters during an election campaign action in downtown Lisbon, Friday, May 16, 2025, ahead of the May 18 general election. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Enzo Maresca left his post as Chelsea head coach on Thursday after a reported deterioration in his relationship with the Premier League club’s hierarchy.

The Italian coach was midway through his second season in charge. In his first season, he won the Conference League and Club World Cup.

Last month, Maresca said he had experienced his “worst” 48 hours at Chelsea and expressed his unhappiness at a lack of support at the club, but didn’t go into specific reasons.

Chelsea is in fifth place in the Premier League, but has won just one of its last seven league matches, and has advanced to the English League Cup semifinals, where it will play Arsenal over two legs.

“With key objectives still to play for across four competitions including qualification for Champions League football," Chelsea said in a statement, "Enzo and the club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track.”

Chelsea is coming off a 2-2 home draw against Bournemouth in the league on Tuesday, and next plays second-place Manchester City away on Sunday.

The club said Chelsea's achievements under Maresca “will remain an important part of the club’s recent history, and we thank him for his contributions to the club.”

There was no immediate word on his potential successor, with Chelsea seeking a fifth full-time manager since the takeover of the club by American investors, fronted by Todd Boehly, in May 2022.

In the past 3 1/2 years, Chelsea has spent hundreds of million of pounds (dollars) in what looked from the outside a chaotic bid to sign players to refresh its squad. It now has one of the youngest and most talented squads in the Premier League, with star players including Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Estevao, but managers have struggled to get the players to gel as a team after so many changes.

Out of all the managers to have led Chelsea in that period — and they include Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino, the current coaches of England and the United States, respectively — Maresca appeared to have handled the chaos the best.

Yet he reportedly didn't feel appreciated given the tough working conditions and, according to the BBC, recently switched agents. A few weeks ago, media reports in England linked Maresca with a possible move to Man City — where he briefly worked under Pep Guardiola — should Guardiola eventually leave, though Maresca played the reports down.

Chelsea's results have taken a downturn in recent weeks, since a 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League in November.

The team's only league win in the past month was a 2-0 over Everton. There have been draws with Arsenal, Newcastle and Bournemouth (twice) and losses to Leeds and Aston Villa.

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FILE - Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca reacts during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Atalanta and Chelsea, in Bergamo, Italy, on Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File)

FILE - Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca sits on a bench ahead of the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Qarabag and Chelsea in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo, File)

Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca, left, gives instructions to Estevao during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Bournemouth in London, England, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)