Aníbal Cavaco Silva, a former centre-right prime minister, appeared almost certain to become Portugal’s next president on Sunday, after winning 50.59 per cent of votes in the first round of the country’s presidential election.

Manuel Alegre, a 70-year-old poet running as an independent Socialist, was in second place with 20.72 per cent, strongly ahead of Mário Soares, the veteran Socialist leader, with only 11-14 per cent.