If legislative elections were held today, the Alliance for Democracy (AD) would emerge victorious with 25% of the votes, according to a poll by ISCTE/ICS for Expresso and SIC. However, more than half of the respondents felt that the government has been performing poorly.
The poll indicates that the AD, led by Luís Montenegro, garners 25% of the voting intentions for the legislative elections set for May 18, while the Socialist Party (PS), headed by Pedro Nuno Santos, captures 20%. Following these are Chega with 14% and the Liberal Initiative (IL) with 4%.
The CDU receives 3% of the votes according to the survey, followed by Livre and the Left Bloc (BE), each at 2%. The PAN appears last with 1% of the voting intentions.
From the total respondents, 51% expressed that the Executive has been doing a “poor job.” Among these, 42% believe it is time for a change in government, while only 9% considered it premature.
Although 38% consider the government to be doing a good job, there remains 11% who say it is time for change. The remaining 27% believe the government should continue.
More than half of the participants (67%) also stated that “Portugal has been on the wrong path,” whereas 22% noted it was on the right course.
The political crisis began in February when Correio da Manhã published a report on Luís Montenegro’s family company, Spinumviva, then owned by his children and wife, raising questions about the compliance with the rules of incompatibility and impediments for public office holders and politicians. The ownership has since been transferred solely to the children.
Following over two weeks of reports—including one from Expresso that Solverde was paying a monthly fee of 4,500 euros to Spinumviva—two motions of no confidence in the government from Chega and PCP, both rejected, and the announcement from PS regarding the presentation of an inquiry commission, the Prime Minister announced a confidence motion for the government on March 5.
The proposal was rejected with votes against from PS, Chega, BE, PCP, Livre, and the sole PAN deputy, Inês Sousa Real, prompting President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to call for new legislative elections.
