Ventura Claims Victory in Madeira With 33.74% of Presidential Ballots.
The political landscape of the Madeira archipelago underwent a significant change on Sunday as the first round of the Portuguese presidential election concluded with a decisive result. André Ventura, the leader of the far-right Chega party, emerged as the most voted candidate in the region, securing a lead over traditional political forces in both Madeira and Porto Santo.
Madeira therefore voted against the national trend, which gave the PS-backed candidate a comfortable lead. This is particularly notable, as André Ventura previously – during a visit to Madeira – mentioned that three Salazars would be needed to rebuild Portugal.
“Only three Salazars are needed because they’ve let this turn into a complete mess,” (…) “In Madeira, one or two would be enough to end the drug chaos”
Ventura last year while addressing supporters in Funchal, RTP Madeira
If this is confirmed, it's a sign that the right wing has woken up, that we're going to have a new right wing in Portugal, and that today another battle begins, which is the battle of the second round of the presidential elections
André Ventura following the first round presidential elections today.
Candidate António José Seguro Places Second With 20.25% of Support
António José Seguro finished the election in second place within the Madeira constituency. Supported by the Socialist Party, he received support from 20.25% of the voters, which represents a total of 25,972 ballots. While he maintained a solid base of support among moderate voters, the gap between his results and those of the frontrunner was over 10%.
Madeira Election Results
These are the election results from Madeira for the Portuguese presidential election held today, January 18. At the time of writting (will likely change but not substantially).
Candidate | Percentage | Total Votes |
André Ventura | 33.4% | 44,862 |
António José Seguro | 22.8% | 30,593 |
Luís Marques Mendes | 14.7% | 19,687 |
João Cotrim de Figueiredo | 14.4% | 19,290 |
Henrique Gouveia e Melo | 8.1% | 10,876 |
Catarina Martins | 3.8% | 5,118 |
Manuel João Vieira | 0.9% | 1,169 |
Jorge Pinto | 0.8% | 1,105 |
António Filipe | 0.6% | 759 |
André Pestana da Silva | 0.4% | 544 |
Humberto Correia | 0.2% | 218 |
Election Results Highlight Growing Support for Right-Wing Policies Across Madeira
The victory of André Ventura in Madeira shows a continued trend of voters choosing anti-system and right-wing candidates. While previous elections in the region were dominated by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the current results suggest that many residents are looking for new leadership. This shift in voter behavior is a major development for the local political scene as the country moves toward a second round of voting.
Madeira's Voting History
Madeira has historically been a stronghold for the centre-right PSD, who is presiding the region ever since Portugal got its autonomy. However, recent economic challenges and social changes have led to a more diverse political environment.
Source: Sabado, Diário de Notícias Madeira
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