Portugal will hold an early parliamentary election on May 18—its third in just over three years—after the collapse of the center-right minority government. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced the decision on Thursday, two days after Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s administration lost a parliamentary confidence vote.

The widely anticipated move to dissolve parliament follows consultations with major political parties and the president’s advisory Council of State, which unanimously backed the decision. Until a new government is formed, Montenegro’s administration will continue in a caretaker capacity.

The crisis erupted when Montenegro presented a confidence motion to counter opposition demands for a parliamentary inquiry into his family’s data protection consultancy. Opposition parties alleged that Montenegro had indirectly benefited from the company’s private sector contracts while serving as prime minister. While prosecutors are reviewing some of the allegations, no formal investigation has been launched.

President Rebelo de Sousa acknowledged that this election was “most likely no one expected or wanted” and warned that the controversy surrounding Montenegro would dominate the campaign. He called for a “clear, direct, but calm and dignified” electoral debate.

Montenegro’s Social Democratic Party (PSD) has rallied behind him, blaming the opposition for the crisis. However, political analysts suggest Montenegro himself bears responsibility for the turmoil, and recent opinion polls indicate that public confidence in him has weakened.

Surveys show the opposition Socialist Party slightly ahead of Montenegro’s coalition, though both remain around 30%, signaling little change from last year’s election. The far-right Chega party remains in third place but has slipped slightly below its 18% result from 2023 following scandals involving senior members.

Despite Portugal’s ongoing political instability, its economy has remained strong, outperforming most EU nations in growth while maintaining budget surpluses and reducing national debt under both center-left and center-right leadership. Economists believe that another election is unlikely to pose immediate economic risks.

However, voter fatigue is mounting. Many Portuguese are frustrated by repeated elections that fail to produce stable governance, leading analysts to predict lower voter turnout this time. Last year’s election saw a record 6.47 million people cast ballots—900,000 more than in 2022—boosting the anti-establishment Chega party. Whether that momentum continues or voter disengagement prevails remains to be seen as Portugal heads to the polls once again.