Lisbon, Jan 31 : Portugal’s ruling Socialist Party (PS) has secured an absolute majority in parliament as a result of the snap elections held on Sunday, data from the country’s Interior Ministry released after 99 percent of the ballots had been counted shows. PS, led by Prime Minister Antonio Costa, got 42 percent of the votes and won 117 out of the 230 mandates (the count continues), thus Costa will retain the post. The Social Democratic Party is second with around 28 percent. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has already congratulated Costa with the victory of the Socialist Party in the Sunday elections in Portugal, which were called by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa after the parliament failed to approve the state budget submitted by Costa’s socialist government this past fall.
