Portugal chooses between a moderate and a populist in runoff presidential election

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LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Center-left Socialist candidate António José Seguro is heavily favored to defeat hard-right populist André Ventura in Portugal’s runoff presidential election Sunday, in a vote that will test the depth of support for Ventura's brash style of politics.

Seguro will collect twice as many votes as Ventura in the head-to-head between the two top candidates, according to recent opinion polls, compared to last month’s first round of voting, when none of the 11 contenders captured the more than 50% of the vote required for victory.

But making it through to the runoff is already a milestone for Ventura and his Chega (Enough) party, which has grown quickly into a significant force in Portuguese politics during a wider European shift to the right.

Polling stations opened at 8 a.m. on a mostly overcast day and were due to close 12 hours later, when Portuguese broadcasters were expected to publish exit polls. Most official results are likely by 11 p.m. (2300 GMT). Around 11 million Portuguese are eligible to vote.

By midday, the turnout was just over 22%, slightly higher than the 21% at the same time in the first round.

Seguro, a longstanding Socialist politician, has positioned himself as a moderate candidate who will cooperate with Portugal’s center-right minority government, repudiating Ventura’s anti-establishment and anti-immigrant tirades.

He has won the support of other mainstream politicians on the left and right who want to halt the rising populist tide.

In Portugal, the president is largely a figurehead with no executive power. Traditionally, the head of state stands above the political fray, mediating disputes and defusing tensions.

However, the president is an influential voice and possesses some powerful tools, being able to veto legislation from parliament, although the veto can be overturned. The head of state also possesses what in Portuguese political jargon is called an “atomic bomb,” the power to dissolve parliament and call early elections.

In May, Portugal held its third general election in three years in the country's worst bout of political instability for decades, and steadying the ship is a key challenge for the next president.

Ventura, an eloquent and theatrical politician, has rejected political accommodation in favor of a more combative stance. One of his main targets has been what he calls excessive immigration, as foreign workers have become more conspicuous in Portugal in recent years.

“Portugal is ours,” he said.

During the campaign, Ventura put up billboards across the country saying, “This isn’t Bangladesh” and “Immigrants shouldn’t be allowed to live on welfare.”

Although he founded his party less than seven years ago, its surge in public support made it the second-largest party in Portugal’s parliament in the May 18 general election.

In March, the winner will replace center-right President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who has served the limit of two five-year terms.