Portugal votes Sunday in a tight election, with no party expected to garner a majority in parliament in a fragmented political landscape that could see the far right make huge gains. A late surge by the opposition centre-right PSD party has clawed away the ruling Socialists' once comfortable poll lead, with the two sides in a statistical tie according to final surveys. With one in ten voters still undecided according to recent polls, analysts said the outcome of the election in the nation of around 10 million people is wide open. Ballot stations open at 8 am (0800 GMT) and close at 8 pm, with exit poll results expected a few hours later. The prospect of another weak minority government comes as Portugal is trying to boost its tourism-dependent economy which has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic. A stable government is needed for Portugal to make the most of a 16.6-billion-euro ($18.7 billion) package of EU recovery funds it is due to receive by 2026. "Portugal needs stability after these two difficult years of fighting against the pandemic," Costa, in office since 2015, told a final rally in second-city Porto on Friday. During the campaign Costa received messages of...
