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Exit Poll: Portugal's Socialists Win Most Votes in Election

Associated Press

   LISBON - The center-left Socialist Party collected the most votes in
   Portugal's general election Sunday, an exit poll indicated, leaving it
   poised to continue in government for another four years.

   However, with the exit poll predicting they would get between 36-40% of
   the vote, the Socialists could fall short of a majority in parliament.

   That could mean they have to pursue alliances with other left-of-center
   parties, as they did in their last term with the Portuguese Communist
   Party and the radical Left Bloc, to pass legislation.

   The poll says the main opposition center-right Social Democratic Party
   will get 24-28%. It gives the radical Left Bloc 9-12%, the Portuguese
   Communist Party 5-7% and the Christian Democrats 2.4-5%

   Socialist leader and incumbent prime minister Antonio Costa took power
   four years ago on a promise to undo austerity measures introduced
   during Europe's financial crisis, when Portugal needed an international
   bailout.

   Now his government is set to reap the rewards of an economic rebound in
   recent years. Growth climbed from 0.2% in 2014 to 2.1% in 2018, and
   unemployment dropped by around half, to 6%, over that period.

   As other Socialist parties have lost ground across Europe in recent
   years, Costa's administration has proved wrong the doubters who said it
   would overspend and endeared itself to its European Union partners by
   straightening out Portugal's ill-managed public finances.

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