2025 Lisbon local election
Portuguese local election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2025 Lisbon local election was held on 12 October 2025 to elect the members for Lisbon City Council, Lisbon Municipal Assembly and the city's 24 parish assemblies.
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12 October 2025
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All 17 Councillors in the Lisbon City Council 9 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Opinion polls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 57.2%  6.3 pp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Valid votes per parish
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Carlos Moedas, from the Social Democratic Party, ran for a second term as mayor of Lisbon,[1] in coalition with CDS – People's Party and also with the Liberal Initiative,[2] while the Socialist Party, led by Alexandra Leitão, led a left-wing coalition alongside the Left Bloc, LIVRE and People Animals Nature in order to defeat the center-right coalition.[3][4][5] The Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) refused to be included in the PS-led coalition,[6] and presented, for the fourth consecutive time, João Ferreira as candidate for mayor.[7] Chega presented local Lisbon assembly member Bruno Mascarenhas as its mayoral candidate.[8]
Despite predictions of a razor-thin contest,[9] Carlos Moedas was re-elected for a second term as Lisbon mayor, gathering nearly 42% of the votes, albeit without a majority, while Alexandra Leitão and her left-wing coalition fell well behind, polling at just below 34%.[10] Chega and CDU nearly tied in terms of votes, with preliminary results showing just an 11-vote margin between them, but Chega was able to elect 2 councillors, while CDU just one, losing one compared with 2021. Turnout increased to the highest level since 1985, with 57.2% of voters casting a ballot.
Due to the small margin of votes between Chega and CDU, which at first was updated to just a 3-vote difference after the final verification of ballots, and alleged irregularities in some ballots and precincts, CDU filed an appeal to the Constitutional Court to rule on the final election result.[11] The Court ruling reduced the difference between Chega and CDU to just 1 vote, and asked for a recount in a polling station at São Domingos de Benfica parish.[12] The recount didn't change the one vote difference between the two parties,[13] and, after the results of the recount were announced, CDU decided to not contest the recount's results.[14]
Background
The 2021 Lisbon local election was the biggest surprise of that year's nationwide local elections as Carlos Moedas, the candidate of the centre-right coalition led by the Social Democratic Party, managed to be elected Mayor of Lisbon and put an end to 14 years of Socialist rule.[15] Against all expectations, the centre-right coalition managed to retake the capital by winning 34.3 percent of the votes and 7 councillors. The Socialist Party, in coalition with LIVRE, led by incumbent Mayor Fernando Medina, narrowly lost, achieving 33.3% of the votes and 7 councillors.
Meanwhile, the Unitary Democratic Coalition, led for the third time by João Ferreira, had a slight increase in its vote share to 10.5% of the votes and maintained its 2 councillors, while the Left Bloc, led by Beatriz Gomes Dias, won 6.2% of the votes and kept their sole seat. Despite results above 4% of the votes, newcomers far-right Chega and the Liberal Initiative failed to win a single seat in the municipal council, while the People Animals Nature party polled at just 2.7% of the votes and also didn't elect any seats.
Despite his victory, Carlos Moedas didn't achieve an absolute majority in either the city council or the municipal assembly, having to seek understandings and deals with the other parties represented in the City Council in order to govern.[16]
Candidates selection
As incumbent Mayor Carlos Moedas was widely expected to run for reelection, the Socialist Party needed a candidate who could face him. After leaving office as Minister of Health, Marta Temido became president of the PS section of Lisbon in February 2023.[17] She was widely expected to be a candidate for Mayor,[18][19] until she was selected by party leader Pedro Nuno Santos as the main candidate for the 2024 European Parliament election.[20][21]
The party then sought other alternatives, such as former Minister of the Environment and former Deputy Mayor Duarte Cordeiro,[22] former Minister of the Economy Pedro Siza Vieira[23][24] and even considering Pedro Nuno Santos as the party's mayoral candidate.[25][26] The choice eventually fell between Mariana Vieira da Silva and the party's parliamentary leader Alexandra Leitão.[27] Finally, on 13 January 2025, Alexandra Leitão was announced as the party's candidate for Mayor of Lisbon.[28]
Talks about a wide left-wing coalition emerged early in the election, with the Left Bloc and LIVRE showing their interest in joining the PS to defeat Moedas.[29] The parties also sought to include the Portuguese Communist Party, who had already announced João Ferreira as their candidate,[7] even offering him the office of Deputy Mayor in a coalition with the other left-wing parties, to which the PCP refused.[30] Eventually, Alexandra Leitão decided to include the People Animals Nature in a coalition with LIVRE and BE,[31] formalizing the coalition in July 2025.[3]
Meanwhile, Carlos Moedas sought to expand the coalition to the Liberal Initiative in order to counterbalance the effects of the left-wing coalition.[32] The CDS fought to prevent the IL from taking influence within the coalition from them, even threatening to run its own candidate.[33] After negotiations, an agreement was closed in July 2025, with a coalition between the PSD, the CDS–PP and IL.[34]
Electoral system
Each party or coalition must present a list of candidates. The winner of the most voted list for the municipal council is automatically elected mayor, similar to first-past-the-post (FPTP). The lists are closed and the seats in each municipality are apportioned according to the D'Hondt method. Unlike in national legislative elections, independent lists are allowed to run.[35][36]
Parties and candidates
| Party/Coalition | Political position |
Candidate | 2021 result | Ref. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes (%) | Seats | ||||||||
| PTL For You, Lisbon (Por ti, Lisboa) |
PPD/PSD | Social Democratic Party Partido Social Democrata |
Centre-right | Carlos Moedas | 34.3% | 4 / 17 |
[37][2] [1] | ||
| CDS–PP | CDS – People's Party CDS – Partido Popular |
Centre-right to right-wing |
3 / 17 | ||||||
| IL | Liberal Initiative Iniciativa Liberal |
Centre-right to right-wing |
4.2% | 0 / 17 | |||||
| VL To Live Lisbon (Viver Lisboa) |
PS | Socialist Party Partido Socialista |
Centre-left | Alexandra Leitão | 33.3% | 6 / 17 |
[28][3] | ||
| L | FREE LIVRE |
Center-left to left-wing |
1 / 17 | ||||||
| BE | Left Bloc Bloco de Esquerda |
Left-wing | 6.2% | 1 / 17 | |||||
| PAN | People Animals Nature Pessoas-Animais-Natureza |
Syncretic | 2.7% | 0 / 17 | |||||
| CDU | Unitary Democratic Coalition Coligação Democrática Unitária PCP, PEV |
Left-wing to far-left |
João Ferreira | 10.5% | 2 / 17 |
[7] | |||
| CH | Enough! Chega! |
Far-right | Bruno Mascarenhas | 4.4% | 0 / 17 |
[8] | |||
| VP | Volt Portugal Volt Portugal |
Centre to centre-left |
José Almeida | 0.4% | 0 / 17 |
[38] | |||
| ADN | National Democratic Alternative Alternativa Democrática Nacional |
Far-right | Adelaide Ferreira | 0.1%[e] | 0 / 17 |
[39] | |||
| ND | New Right Nova Direita |
Right-wing | Ossanda Liber | N/a | N/a | [40] | |||
| DA | Alliance Democratic Democrática Aliança PPM, PTP |
Centre-right | Tomaz Ponce Dentinho | N/a | N/a | [41] | |||
| RIR | React, Include, Recycle Reagir, Incluir, Reciclar, |
Syncretic | Luís Mendes | N/a | N/a | [42] | |||
Campaign period
Issues
Just five weeks before election day, a funicular derailed in the Glória elevator killing 16 people, and injuring 23 others.[43] The question of maintenance, and the quality of it, is being investigated as it was made by a private outsourcing company.[44] Carlos Moedas faced calls to resign and questions were raised on how much this would impact the outcome of the election,[45] as also many of the decisions regarding maintenance of public transportation were made during the Socialist Party (PS) terms between 2007 and 2021.[46]
Party slogans
| Party or alliance | Original slogan | English translation | Refs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PTL | « Por Ti, Lisboa » | "For You, Lisbon" | [47] | |
| VL | « Viver Lisboa » | "To Live Lisbon" | [48] | |
| CDU | « Lisboa, cidade da nossa vida » | "Lisbon, the city of our lives" | [49] | |
| CH | « Defender Lisboa » | "Defend Lisbon" | [50] | |
| VP | « Religa-te a Lisboa » | "Reconnect with Lisbon" | [51] | |
| ADN | « Lisboa vai ter o papel principal » | "Lisbon will have the main role" | ||
| ND | « Resgatar Lisboa » | "Rescue Lisbon" | [52] | |
Candidates' debates
| Date | Organisers | Moderator(s) | P Present[f] NI Not invited I Invited A Absent invitee | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PTL Moedas |
VL Leitão |
CDU Ferreira |
CH Mascarenhas |
Refs | |||||||||||||||||
| 15 Sep 2025 | SIC | Nelma Serpa Pinto | P | P | P | P | [53] | ||||||||||||||
| 19 Sep 2025 | Rádio Observador | Carla Jorge de Carvalho Miguel Viterbo Dias |
P | P | P | P | [54] | ||||||||||||||
| 23 Sep 2025 | CNN Portugal | João Póvoa Marinheiro | P | P | P | P | [55] | ||||||||||||||
| 2 Oct 2025 | RTP1 | Carlos Daniel | P | P | P | P | [56] | ||||||||||||||
Opinion polling
Exit poll
| Polling firm/Link | Fieldwork date | Sample size | PTL | VL | CDU | CH | ADN | ND | PPM PTP |
O | Lead | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSD | CDS | IL | PS | L | BE | PAN | ||||||||||||||
| 2025 local election | 12 Oct 2025 | N/a | 41.7 8 |
34.0 6 |
10.1 1 |
10.1 2 |
0.4 0 |
0.3 0 |
0.3 0 |
3.1 0 |
7.7 | |||||||||
| CESOP–UCP | 12 Oct 2025 | 5,658 | 37–42 6/9 |
37–42 6/9 |
8–11 1/2 |
7–10 1/2 |
0–1 0 |
0–1 0 |
0–1 0 |
1–5 0 |
Tie | |||||||||
| ICS/ISCTE/ Pitagórica |
12 Oct 2025 | 9,832 | 36.8–42.0 6/8 |
33.7–38.9 6/8 |
9.0– 12.4 1/3 |
7.7– 11.1 1/2 |
3.1 | |||||||||||||
| Intercampus | 12 Oct 2025 | 8,700 | 37.9–41.9 6/8 |
34.8–38.8 6/8 |
8.9– 12.9 1/3 |
7.0– 11.0 0/2 |
1.4– 5.4 |
3.1 | ||||||||||||
| CESOP–UCP | 27–29 Sep 2025 | 1,066 | 35 6/8 |
36 6/8 |
8 1/2 |
12 2 |
1 0 |
1 0 |
2 0 |
5 0 |
1 | |||||||||
| Pitagórica | 23–28 Sep 2025 | 625 | 38.7 7 |
35.7 7 |
11.7 2 |
9.6 1 |
0.6 0 |
0.6 0 |
N/a | 3.1 0 |
3.0 | |||||||||
| ICS/ISCTE | 13–23 Sep 2025 | 807 | 36 7 |
35 6 |
6 1 |
16 3 |
2 0 |
1 0 |
N/a | 4 0 |
1 | |||||||||
| ICS/ISCTE | 14–27 Jul 2025 | 800 | 41 8 |
36 7 |
5 0 |
14 2 |
N/a | N/a | N/a | 4 0 |
5 | |||||||||
| 2025 Legislative election | 18 May 2025 | N/a | 31.7 (6) |
9.3 (1) |
23.3 (5) |
9.4 (2) |
2.7 (0) |
1.7 (0) |
3.7 (0) |
14.5 (3) |
0.9 (0) |
0.1 (0) |
N/a | 2.8 (0) |
8.4 | |||||
| 2024 EP election | 9 Jun 2024 | N/a | 27.9 (5) |
14.7 (3) |
26.7 (5) |
7.5 (1) |
6.1 (1) |
1.4 (0) |
4.9 (1) |
7.6 (1) |
0.8 (0) |
0.1 (0) |
N/a | 2.3 (0) |
1.2 | |||||
| 2024 Legislative election | 10 Mar 2024 | N/a | 32.3 (7) |
7.5 (1) |
26.2 (5) |
7.7 (1) |
5.1 (1) |
2.1 (0) |
3.5 (0) |
11.7 (2) |
1.1 (0) |
0.2 (0) |
N/a | 2.6 (0) |
6.1 | |||||
| 2022 Legislative election | 30 Jan 2022 | N/a | 27.4 (6) |
2.3 (0) |
10.6 (2) |
36.4 (7) |
3.8 (0) |
4.7 (0) |
1.8 (0) |
4.7 (1) |
5.6 (1) |
N/a | 0.2 (0) |
N/a | 2.4 (0) |
6.6 | ||||
| 2021 local election | 26 Sep 2021 | N/a | 34.3 7 |
4.2 0 |
33.3 7 |
6.2 1 |
2.7 0 |
10.5 2 |
4.4 0 |
0.1 0[e] |
N/a | N/a | 4.3 0 |
1.0 | ||||||
Results
Municipal Council
 | ||||||||||
| Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Councillors | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | ± | |||||||||
| Social Democratic / People's / Liberal Initiative | 110,645 | 41.71 | 3.2 | 8 | 1 | |||||
| PS / LIVRE / BE / PAN | 90,069 | 33.95 |  8.2 | 6 | 2 | |||||
| Chega | 26,754 | 10.08 | 5.7 | 2 | 2 | |||||
| Unitary Democratic Coalition | 26,753 | 10.08 | 0.4 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Volt Portugal | 1,047 | 0.39 | 0.0 | 0 |  0 | |||||
| National Democratic Alternative | 994 | 0.37 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| New Right | 909 | 0.34 | N/a | 0 | N/a | |||||
| People's Monarchist / Labour | 903 | 0.34 | N/a | 0 | N/a | |||||
| React, Include, Recycle | 439 | 0.17 | N/a | 0 | N/a | |||||
| Earth | 0 | 0.00 | N/a | 0 | N/a | |||||
| Total valid | 258,513 | 97.44 | 0.6 |
17 | 0 | |||||
| Blank ballots | 3,835 | 1.45 | 0.6 | |||||||
| Invalid ballots | 2,946 | 1.11 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Total | 265,294 | 100.00 | ||||||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 463,566 | 57.23 | 6.3 | |||||||
| Source:[57] | ||||||||||
Municipal Assembly
 | ||||||||||
| Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Seats | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | ± | |||||||||
| Social Democratic / People's / Liberal Initiative | 104,931 | 39.54 | 2.4 | 21 | 1 | |||||
| PS / LIVRE / BE / PAN | 87,180 | 32.86 | 9.1 | 18 | 4 | |||||
| Chega | 30,913 | 11.65 | 6.3 | 6 | 3 | |||||
| Unitary Democratic Coalition | 30,124 | 11.35 | 0.2 | 6 | 0 | |||||
| Volt Portugal | 1,571 | 0.59 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| National Democratic Alternative | 1,061 | 0.40 | N/a | 0 | N/a | |||||
| New Right | 1,059 | 0.40 | N/a | 0 | N/a | |||||
| People's Monarchist / Labour | 928 | 0.35 | N/a | 0 | N/a | |||||
| React, Include, Recycle | 558 | 0.21 | N/a | 0 | N/a | |||||
| Earth | 552 | 0.20 | N/a | 0 | N/a | |||||
| Total valid | 258,877 | 97.56 | 0.9 |
51 | 0 | |||||
| Blank ballots | 4,087 | 1.54 | 0.6 | |||||||
| Invalid ballots | 2,382 | 0.90 | 0.3 | |||||||
| Total | 265,346 | 100.00 | ||||||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 462,464 | 57.38 | 6.5 | |||||||
| Source:[57] | ||||||||||
Parish Assemblies
| Parish | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | Total S | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PTL | VL | CDU | CH | IND | ||||||||||||||
| Ajuda | 23.9 | 3 | 46.6 | 7 | 12.2 | 1 | 14.1 | 2 | 13 | |||||||||
| Alcântara | 31.5 | 4 | 48.0 | 7 | 8.2 | 1 | 9.3 | 1 | 13 | |||||||||
| Alvalade | 46.3 | 10 | 33.4 | 7 | 9.7 | 2 | 19 | |||||||||||
| Areeiro | 48.9 | 7 | 33.4 | 4 | 8.8 | 1 | 8.3 | 1 | 13 | |||||||||
| Arroios | 33.3 | 7 | 42.3 | 8 | 11.7 | 2 | 9.6 | 2 | 19 | |||||||||
| Avenidas Novas | 50.3 | 11 | 28.3 | 6 | 7.9 | 1 | 9.0 | 1 | 19 | |||||||||
| Beato | 26.3 | 4 | 38.2 | 5 | 13.8 | 2 | 17.6 | 2 | 13 | |||||||||
| Belém | 57.6 | 8 | 26.7 | 4 | 7.1 | 1 | 13 | |||||||||||
| Benfica | 26.9 | 5 | 54.5 | 11 | 6.3 | 1 | 9.5 | 2 | 19 | |||||||||
| Campo de Ourique | 41.2 | 6 | 38.9 | 5 | 8.3 | 1 | 8.3 | 1 | 13 | |||||||||
| Campolide | 39.5 | 6 | 36.2 | 5 | 8.8 | 1 | 12.7 | 1 | 13 | |||||||||
| Carnide | 26.6 | 4 | 19.3 | 2 | 41.7 | 6 | 9.5 | 1 | 13 | |||||||||
| Estrela | 53.5 | 7 | 28.1 | 4 | 7.5 | 1 | 8.5 | 1 | 13 | |||||||||
| Lumiar | 46.1 | 10 | 31.1 | 6 | 8.5 | 1 | 9.7 | 2 | 19 | |||||||||
| Marvila | 21.9 | 4 | 38.2 | 8 | 9.7 | 2 | 26.0 | 5 | 19 | |||||||||
| Misericórdia | 35.8 | 5 | 38.3 | 5 | 13.7 | 2 | 8.4 | 1 | 13 | |||||||||
| Olivais | 23.8 | 5 | 29.2 | 6 | 8.2 | 1 | 12.6 | 3 | 23.2 | 4 | 19 | |||||||
| Parque das Nações | 49.8 | 7 | 30.3 | 4 | 6.3 | 1 | 11.1 | 1 | 13 | |||||||||
| Penha de França | 26.5 | 5 | 39.6 | 8 | 16.5 | 3 | 13.9 | 3 | 19 | |||||||||
| Santa Clara | 27.1 | 4 | 32.4 | 5 | 9.9 | 1 | 24.2 | 3 | 13 | |||||||||
| Santa Maria Maior | 23.3 | 3 | 41.0 | 6 | 17.6 | 2 | 14.3 | 2 | 13 | |||||||||
| Santo António | 49.4 | 7 | 32.3 | 5 | 9.1 | 1 | 13 | |||||||||||
| São Domingos de Benfica | 46.2 | 10 | 34.7 | 7 | 8.6 | 1 | 7.6 | 1 | 19 | |||||||||
| São Vicente | 20.9 | 3 | 40.3 | 6 | 18.4 | 2 | 8.7 | 1 | 8.9 | 1 | 13 | |||||||
| Total | 37.5 | 145 | 35.5 | 141 | 10.7 | 38 | 10.4 | 37 | 1.6 | 5 | 366 | |||||||
| Source:[58] | ||||||||||||||||||
Aftermath
Carlos Moedas was sworn in for a second term, under a minority capacity, on 11 November 2025.[59] In January 2026, one of the two Chega councillors, Ana Simões Silva, announced she was leaving the party, due to "insurmountable political incompatibilities" with the party, and became an independent.[60] A few weeks later, on 11 February 2026, it was announced that Ana Simões Silva would join Moedas local government, thus guaranteeing an absolute majority for Moedas in Lisbon's City Council.[61]
Notes
- In the 2021 election, PSD/CDS/MPT/PPM/A had 7 seats and 34.3% of the votes, while IL had 4.2% and failed to elect any seats.
- In the 2021 election, the PS+LIVRE coalition had 7 seats and 33.3% of the votes, while BE had 6.2% and 1 seat and PAN got 2.7% and failed to elect any seats.
- Compared with the result of Democratic Republican Party. In late 2021, the Democratic Republican Party (PDR) changed its name to the National Democratic Alternative (ADN).
- Denotes a main invitee attending the event.