Portugal’s Chega party becomes the main opposition and joins Europe’s far-right surge

LISBON, Portugal — Portugal’s anti-immigration Chega party notched another political gain for Europe’s far right on Wednesday after it was assigned the second-most seats in parliament — meaning it will become the head of the parliamentary opposition to the new government.

That shatters the pattern of Portugal’s center-right and center-left mainstream parties alternating between heading a government or leading the opposition.

Chega’s strides since the May 18 election coincide with gains elsewhere by far-right forces. In Europe, those include France’s National Rally, the Brothers of Italy and Alternative for Germany, which are now in the political mainstream.

Leading the opposition is quite the accomplishment for a once-fringe party that competed in its first election six years ago, when it won one seat. It has surged recently with its hardline stance against immigration and with the inability of traditional parties to form lasting governments. The May 18th election was Portugal’s third in as many years.

Chega, which means “Enough,” secured 60 of the National Assembly’s 230 seats after it picked up two more seats on Wednesday from the overseas voters of the European Union country of 10.6 million people.

“This is a profound change in the Portuguese political system,” Chega leader Andre Ventura told supporters after Chega bested the Socialists by two seats.

The center-right Democratic Alliance, led by the Social Democratic Party, captured two more seats to take its tally to 88.

Following the election, incoming Prime Minister Luis Montenegro was already looking at heading another minority government similar to the one that fell two months ago in a confidence vote after less than a year in power.

But now Montenegro and other parties will face an emboldened far-right competitor that campaigned under the slogan “Save Portugal” and describes itself as a nationalist party.