He called on MPs to vote “for stability” over partisan concerns.
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is expected to dissolve the country’s parliament as soon as this evening and call a snap election that will likely be held in mid-May.
The prime minister has been under fire since the Portuguese media began reporting on Spinumviva, a consultancy Montenegro founded in 2021 before becoming active in politics.
Montenegro insists he has no role in the management of the firm, which is currently owned by his wife and sons. Opposition parties, meanwhile, have accused him of benefiting from the company, which has contracts with businesses that have received government concessions.
In order to “avoid the degradation of institutions and the loss of political stability” amid the accusations of wrongdoing, Montenegro called for the vote of confidence to confirm his minority government still enjoyed the support of Portugal’s parliament. The negative votes from both the opposition Socialist Party and the far-right Chega group made his defeat inevitable.
Portugal held its last general election in March 2024 following the resignation of Socialist Prime Minister António Costa, who stepped down after authorities launched an influence-peddling investigation focused on several members of his administration. Costa is now the president of the European Council.
