[3] On 4 November 2021, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the President of Portugal, announced a snap election to be held on 30 January 2022.

[9] The PS won the most votes in all districts in mainland Portugal, only failing to win the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

[11] The Social Democratic Party (PSD) remained stable but underperformed opinion polls that had predicted a close race with the PS.

[27] The final, certified results of the election were published in the official journal, Diário da República, on 26 March 2022.

[28] The proposed budget for 2022 was rejected on 27 October 2021 by all Opposition parties, with the expection of PAN and two Independent MPs, and with the then PS minority being the only one voting in favour.

[29] Prime Minister António Costa said to Members of Parliament, in his speech before the final vote, that he would not resign and would ask for a "stable, reinforced and lasting new majority" in the early elections.

[30] After the Parliamentary vote, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa started hearing parties and convened the Council of State, thus deciding to dissolve Parliament and call a snap election for 30 January 2022.

Their sole MP, João Cotrim de Figueiredo, was elected as leader with 96 percent of the votes in the party's convention.

[39] On 27 November 2021, Rui Rio defeated Paulo Rangel by a 52.4 to 47.6 percent margin and was reelected for a 3rd term as party leader.

[43] The results were the following: In March 2021, the People-Animals-Nature (PAN) leader and spokesperson, André Silva, announced he was leaving the leadership of the party to dedicate more time to his family.

For that leadership congress, only one candidate stepped forward, Inês Sousa Real, the party's parliamentary leader.

On 6 June, Inês Sousa Real was elected as leader of PAN with 87.2 percent of the votes in the party's congress in Tomar.

[77] Rádio Observador organised two hour and a half debates with the head candidates for the Porto and Lisbon districts.

"[91] The Social Democratic Party (PSD) remained stable, underperforming opinion polls that had predicted a close race with the PS.

The PSD won 29 percent of the vote, a slightly higher share than in 2019, and received 77 seats, two less than the previous election.

He blamed the PS majority on PSD leader Rio for not forming an alliance between the two right-wing parties and stated "From now on there won't be a soft opposition.

"[91] IL leader João Cotrim de Figueiredo also celebrated sufficient gains to form a parliamentary group, and said that his party would be a "firm opposition to socialism".

[94] Portuguese Communist Party leader Jerónimo de Sousa made a similar statement about the PS.

[22] PAN leader Inês Sousa Real spoke of sadness after this result, and said that an absolute majority would be bad for democracy.

[99] The Social Democratic Party (PSD) filed a complaint in order for the ballots with no ID card copy to be put aside.

The PSD had confirmed their position in that meeting, but announced that they had changed their mind after they were given a document stating that any such actions would be illegal.

[102] Nonetheless, the PSD and the Electoral Commission (CNE) warned and advised counting staffs to separate the ballots.

[104] Several parties (Volt, LIVRE, PAN, CHEGA, MAS) appealed to the Constitutional Court in order to have the ballots counted.

[114] António Costa himself was also indicted as a suspect in a case of corruption involving the lithium and hydrogen businesses.

[115] Shortly after this revelation by the Public Prosecutor's office, Prime Minister António Costa tendered his resignation to President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and also announced he was stepping down from the PS leadership.

On 9 November 2023, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa called a snap legislative election for 10 March 2024.

[117] For the first time ever in Portuguese democracy, a single party majority government didn't complete its full term.