Portugal’s centre-right governing coalition has won the country’s parliamentary elections, exit polls and early results suggest.

The coalition, led by Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho, is ahead with about 40% of the vote, followed by the Socialists on just under 32%, the partial results suggest.

Portugal’s elections were seen as a referendum on four years of spending cuts.

Photo AP

The governing coalition had vowed to continue the policies, in place since 2011 after it was forced to seek a eurozone bailout.

The opposition Socialists, led by Antonio Costa, and other left-wing groups had criticized the cuts.

Unemployment has been falling for two-and-a-half years, but many regard the recovery as fragile.

The centre-right Social Democratic Party and its right-wing ally, the People’s Party, put up joint lists.