Portugal general election: Socialists win surprise outright majority

Prime minister Antonio Costa says parliamentary victory doesn't mean absolute power' but he will no longer need to negotiate to form a coalition

Defying all odds, Portugal's ruling centre-left Socialists won an outright parliamentary majority in Sunday's snap general election, securing a strong new mandate for the prime minister, Antonio Costa.

The result, boosted by a higher than expected turnout despite the coronavirus pandemic, came as a surprise after the Socialists had lost most of their advantage in recent opinion polls. It means Portugal will have a stable government to oversee the application of EU pandemic recovery funds.