LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's President Anibal Cavaco Silva on Thursday dissolved parliament and set a snap election for June 5 following the resignation of the minority Socialist government of Prime Minister Jose Socrates.
"Following the prime minister's resignation I have decided to dissolve parliament and call a general election for June 5," Cavaco Silva said in a televised statement.
He added that Socrates' administration would remain in office as a caretaker government until the election.
Socrates's resignation last week after the opposition rejected his government's austerity measures prompted downgrades by rating agencies, pushed bond yields to new euro era highs and raised pressure on the country to ask for a bailout.
(Reporting by Axel Bugge and Daniel Alvarenga; writing by Shrikesh Laxmidas)