LISBON, March 9 (Reuters) - Dozens of demonstrators

gathered at the Tesla showroom in Lisbon on Sunday to

protest against CEO Elon Musk's support for far-right parties in

Europe as Portugal heads toward a likely snap election.

Musk has used his X platform to promote right-wing parties

and figures in Germany, Britain, Italy and Romania. He has not

waded into politics in Portugal where the far-right Chega party

has surged to become the third largest force in parliament.

In the capital Lisbon, protesters held up signs about U.S.

President Donald Trump and his billionaire adviser Musk, with

some reading "Boycott Tesla".

Nuno Raimundo, 54, a doctor in Lisbon, said "it was time for

people around the world to stand up" and counter Trump's

leadership and Musk's promotion of the far right in Europe.

"Otherwise, history will return to the 1930s in Europe", he

said. "(Musk) may not be able to have enough influence in the

next election in Portugal but with the amount of money he has,

step by step, he can do that."

Portugal plunged into a new political crisis after Prime

Minister Luis Montenegro's centre-right government on Thursday

approved a confidence vote in his year-old minority government,

risking his own dismissal.

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said a fresh election,

which would be the third in three years, could take place on May

11 or May 18.

The centre-right alliance is polling at around 30%, slightly

ahead of the Socialists, with Chega in third on 18%.

Musk's political postures appear to be coming at a price for

Tesla, whose sales in Europe tumbled 45% in January from a year

earlier, while its rivals' sales rose by over 37%, according to

the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.

(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves and Pedro Nunes; Editing by Ros

Russell)