Presidential elections in Portugal, socialist Seguro at 31.1%, sovereignist Ventura at 23.5%

With the counting of 99% of the ballots completed, the first round of the presidential elections in Portugal has been concluded. The winner is the Socialist António José Seguro, with 31.1%; in second place comes the leader of the ultra-right sovereignist party, André Ventura, with 23.5%.

Voter turnout was 52%, the highest in 15 years in a presidential election. The runoff will be next 8 February. Already around midnight, when the games were over, the two most voted candidates spoke from the offices of their electoral committees. "The Portuguese have given us the leadership of the national right," said André Ventura in his speech. "The fight starts in half an hour and it will be a fight of the non-socialist space against the socialist space in Portugal."

António José Seguro, in thanking all the Portuguese electorate and the candidates who did not make it to the second round, then wished to greet the 'plural' Portugal and emphasise the independent nature of his candidacy: 'I am free and without strings. I invite all democratic and humanitarian people to join us in defeating together those who sow hatred'

The conservative prime minister, Luís Montenegro, spoke to the media admitting the defeat of the candidate supported by the ruling coalition, Luís Marques Mendes. Montenegro announced that the Social Democratic Party (PSD) will not give any indication of voting. 'There will be no political space for the SDP in the second round,' the premier said, 'so we will not issue any voting indications'. "We accept the choice with democratic humility," Montenegro, whose explanation of vote was highly anticipated, said again, and "we will respect the will of the Portuguese people: the Psd was chosen to govern and that is what we will do in the next three weeks and in the coming years."