Official results from Portugal's presidential election have given a clear victory to the centre-right incumbent candidate, who was returned to office for a final five-year term.
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Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa captured 62 per cent of the vote on Sunday, with 98 per cent of districts reporting. He had widely been expected to win.
In a stunning development, newly arrived right-wing populist Andre Ventura was in a close race for second place with Socialist candidate Ana Gomes, with both polling around 12 per cent.
Such a showing for Ventura would have been unthinkable until recently and will send a shudder through Portuguese politics.
Four other candidates ran for head of state.
Portugal has 10.8 million registered voters, around 1.5 million of them living abroad.
Every Portuguese president since 1976, when universal suffrage was introduced following the departure of a dictatorship, has been returned for a second term.
No woman or member of an ethnic minority has ever held the post.
Australian Associated Press
