Significance of Portugal’s presidential elections for Ukraine

Portugal’s presidential elections, whose first round is scheduled for Jan. 18, are significant for Ukraine despite the geographical distance, as Portugal remains an influential player in European and transatlantic politics.

According to Pavlo Sadokha, Vice President of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) for Southern Europe and President of the Union of Ukrainians in Portugal (UUP), told RFI Ukrainian  an interview the meaning of how the upcoming elections affect Ukraine.

“Portugal is a small country, but it plays an important role in geopolitics. Lisbon is a member of the European Union and a founding member of NATO, and it also has influence over Portuguese-speaking countries, including Brazil in Latin America and several countries in Africa,” Sadokha said.

The Portuguese presidency is a long-term political position. Since 1976, when the Constitution of the Third Republic was adopted, every president has been reelected for a second five-year term. This means the leader elected this year could remain in office until 2036.

Sadokha noted that unlike the presidency, Portugal’s parliament has been less stable: snap parliamentary elections were held in 2024 and 2025. Nevertheless, support for Ukraine has remained consistently strong since the beginning of Russia’s all-out aggression in 2014.

“Ukraine remains a relevant topic in the current presidential campaign, particularly in the context of European security and increasing defense spending. However, voters’ main concerns continue to be domestic issues, such as healthcare and migration,” Sadokha said.

According to Sadokha, all five leading candidates — António José Seguro of the Socialist Party, João Cotrim de Figueiredo of the Liberal Initiative, Luís Marques Mendes of the Social Democrats, André Ventura of the far-right “Enough!” party, and independent candidate Henrique Gouveia e Melo — support Ukraine and emphasize the need for a fair and lasting peace.

Sadokha observed that the clearest stance on the war comes from independent candidate Henrique Gouveia e Melo, a naval admiral.

Watch the full interview at the following link.