By Catarina Demony and Sergio Goncalves
LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal’s fragmented new parliament struggled on Wednesday to elect a speaker after three failed votes the previous day underscored the weakness of the centre-right election winner and the growing influence of the far right.
The Democratic Alliance (AD) coalition won the March 10 election by a slim margin over the incumbent Socialists, far short of a working majority. The far-right Chega quadrupled its parliamentary representation, reflecting a political tilt to right-wing populism across Europe.
In a tentative compromise after several delays of the vote on Wednesday, the AD’s main Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Socialists said they would submit a rotating speakership for the vote.
“We need to overcome this impasse,” PSD lawmaker Joaquim Miranda Sarmento told reporters, explaining that the idea was for PSD’s Jose Pedro Aguiar Branco to be speaker first, followed by Socialist Francisco Assis in the second half of the four-year legislature, if it lasts that long.
The PS said it was a purely an “institutional solution” that did not make both parties partners.
Between them, the PSD and the Socialists have 156 seats in the 230-parliament, enough to elect a speaker. The vote is expected after 3 p.m. (1500 GMT).
Analysts have anticipated instability for the AD minority government that has just 80 seats and is unlikely to be able to pass legislation without support from Chega, whose leader Andre Ventura has demanded a long-term deal in exchange for support.
AD leader Luis Montenegro has repeatedly refused any formal agreement with Chega.
On Monday, Ventura said his party had reached an “understanding” with the AD on electing Aguiar Branco.
However, after several AD members denied the existence of an agreement, its candidate failed to garner enough votes, while Ventura accused the AD of “trampling” on Chega. Two other rounds of voting after the Socialists and Chega presented their own candidates also failed on Tuesday.
After the compromise announced on Wednesday, Ventura said it clearly showed that PSD had chosen its “travel companion” for its mandate and that it now needs to govern with it.
(Reporting by Catarina Demony and Sergio Goncalves; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Nick Macfie)
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