Portugal's President Appoints Luis Montenegro as Prime Minister - President's Office

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has appointed Luis Montenegro, a candidate from the Social Democratic Party, as the country's new prime minister following political consultations on forming a new government, the president's office said on Thursday.

The president's office has said earlier on the website that the Portuguese president would hold consultations with the country's political parties and coalitions to form a new government from March 12-20.

"Since the president ... has held consultations with the parties and coalitions of parties that ran in the March 10 elections for the Assembly of the Republic and won seats, and the Democratic Alliance won the elections in terms of seats ... he decided to appoint Luis Montenegro as prime minister," the president's office said in a statement.

Portugal held snap parliamentary elections on March 10. According to data from the Portuguese National Electoral Commission, the center-right Democratic Alliance won 80 seats, and the Socialist Party won 78 seats.

The snap election was called in November 2023 following the resignation of Prime Minister Antonio Costa, elected in January 2022.