Right-wing populism wins elections in Costa Rica

Laura Fernández of the Pueblo Soberano (‘Sovereign People’) party wins the presidential election in the first round with 48.33% of the vote and secures a majority of seats in parliament for her party. The candidate of the long-established Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) achieved a historically good result, but was still significantly behind the frontrunner. The presidential and parliamentary elections on 1 February 2026 thus mark a historic turning point in Costa Rica's political history. The country, which for decades was considered a democratic exception in Central America, has experienced an election that goes far beyond the decision on individuals and party colours. At stake was the fundamental question of how Costa Rica should be governed in the future: through institutional dialogue, separation of powers and consensus – or through power-concentrated politics based on confrontation and structural system change.