Portugal’s third general election in three years has failed to deliver the result that could break the worst spell of political instability for decades in the European Union country of 10.6 million people.

The hard-right Chega party surged in the snap election, securing its status as a powerful political contender.

By Sergio Goncalves, Catarina Demony and Andrei Khalip LISBON (Reuters) -Portugal's far-right Chega won a record vote share in Sunday's snap election and was vying to become the main opposition party as the ruling centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) again fell short of a majority needed to end a long period of instability.