Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and his center-right government lost a confidence vote in parliament Tuesday.
In a 142-88 vote with no abstentions, opposition lawmakers ousted Montenegro’s administration after only 11 months in office. The minority government was made up of his Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the CDS-People’s Party (CDS-PP).
The vote was called against Montenegro after a controversy around potential conflicts of interest emerged. His family’s law firm has been receiving monthly payments from a company with a government contract.
Opposition lawmakers have demanded more details on the matter, with the center-left Socialist Party going as far as to call for an official parliamentary inquiry.
Montenegro has denied any wrongdoings and claims he placed control of the firm fully in the hands of his wife and children in 2022. He has previously said he will still stand as his party’s candidate even if the government collapses.
A revolving door The southwestern European nation now appears likely to head to early elections for the third time in three years.
For that to happen, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa would have to dissolve the assembly and call a new parliamentary vote. He has said a fresh ballot could be held as soon as mid-May.
More to come…
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