ortugal’s minority government lost a confidence vote in parliament Tuesday, forcing its resignation and bringing the European Union country’s third general election in three years.
The government’s fall marks the worst spell of political instability since Portugal adopted a democratic system more than 50 years ago in the wake of the 1974 Carnation Revolution, which ended a four-decade dictatorship.
A string of minority governments has been unable to forge alliances that might ensure the administration completes its constitutional four-year term without opposition parties teaming up to bring it down.
A new election, likely in May, pitches the country of 10.6 million people into months of political uncertainty just as it is in the process of investing more than 22 billion euros ($24 billion) in EU development funds.
Socialist leader Pedro Nuno Santos, the leader of the largest opposition party, described the government’s conduct as “shameful,” saying it resorted to “maneuvers, games, tricks” to survive.
The controversy has revolved around potential conflicts of interest in the business dealings of Montenegro’s family law firm.