2021 Lisbon local election

Last updated
2021 Lisbon local elections
Bandeira municipal de Lisboa.png
  2017 26 September 2021 2025  

All 17 Councillors in the Lisbon City Council
9 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Turnout51.0% Decrease2.svg 0.1 pp
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Carlos Moedas Web Summit 2021 - Opening night.jpg
(Fernando Medina) Web Summit 2018 - Media PMM 9339 (30136649707) (cropped).jpg
Joao Ferreira (48951288883) (cropped).jpg
Leader Carlos Moedas Fernando Medina João Ferreira
Party PSD PS PCP
Alliance New Times [a] More Lisbon [b] CDU
Last election6 seats, 31.8% [c] 8 seats, 42.0%2 seats, 9.5%
Seats won772
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 1Decrease2.svg 1Steady2.svg
Popular vote83,18580,90725,550
Percentage34.3%33.3%10.5%
SwingIncrease2.svg 2.5 pp Decrease2.svg 8.7 pp Increase2.svg 1.0 pp

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
 
Beatriz Gomes Dias (Comicio Lisboa, Capitolio, Set.2021).jpg
Nuno Graciano ('Alta Definicao', 2018) cropped.png
Bruno Horta Soares.jpg
Leader Beatriz Gomes Dias Nuno Graciano Bruno Horta Soares
Party BE CH IL
Last election1 seat, 7.1%Did not contestDid not contest
Seats won100
Seat changeSteady2.svgNew partyNew party
Popular vote15,05710,73010,213
Percentage6.2%4.4%4.2%
SwingDecrease2.svg 0.9 pp New partyNew party

Lisboa Autarquicas 2021 Validos.svg
Valid votes per parish

Mayor before election

Fernando Medina
PS

Elected Mayor

Carlos Moedas
PSD

The 2021 Lisbon local election was held on 26 September 2021 to elect the members of the Lisbon City Council.

Contents

In what was the biggest surprise of the 2021 municipal elections, Carlos Moedas, the candidate of the center-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. [1] Against all expectations, the center-right coalition managed to regain the capital by winning 34.3 percent of the votes and 7 councilors. [2] Despite his victory, Carlos Moedas had to seek understandings with the other parties represented in the City Council.

The big loser in this election was Fernando Medina, candidate of the Socialist Party (which ran in alliance with LIVRE), as he lost his reelection bid, an office he had hold since 2015 and which had been in Socialist hands since 2007. Unexpectedly, the Socialists lost almost 10 percent of the votes compared with the previous election, with Medina labeling the defeat as "personal". [3]

The Unitary Democratic Coalition presented former MEP João Ferreira again and achieved positive results, registering a slight electoral growth to 10.5 percent, the best result for CDU since 2005, and that guaranteed two Communist councilors. [4] The Left Bloc, which presented Beatriz Gomes Dias as a candidate for mayor, managed to keep their sole seat in the municipal council, despite having registered a slight drop in votes. [5]

People-Animals-Nature, CHEGA, and Liberal Initiative failed to elect any councilor.

Background

In the 2017 election, the Socialist Party led by Fernando Medina, won with a comfortable advantage over the opposition parties, although losing its absolute majority. The center-right wing alliance led by Assunção Cristas' CDS - Peoples Party obtained a historic result for the chamber, surpassing 20 percent of the votes and electing 4 councilors. The Social Democratic Party, which had Teresa Leal Coelho as its candidate, had its worst result in history in Lisbon, finishing in third place, with just over 11 percent of the votes and 2 councilors, a far cry from the Socialists and Christian Democrats (CDS).

Finally, the Unitary Democratic Coalition obtained 9.6 percent, winning 2 councilors and the Left Bloc obtained its best municipal result in the capital, managing to conquer 1 councilor with 7.1 percent and entering in a coalition with the Socialists.

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. [6] [7]

Parties and candidates

Party/CoalitionPolitical
position
Candidate [8] 2017 result
Votes (%)Seats
MLMore Lisbon
Mais Lisboa PS, LIVRE
Centre-left Fernando Medina 42.0%
8 / 17
NTNew Times
Novos Tempos PPD/PSD, CDS–PP, A, MPT, PPM
Centre-right Carlos Moedas 31.8%
6 / 17
CDU Unitary Democratic Coalition
Coligação Democrática Unitária PCP, PEV
Left-wing
to far-left
João Ferreira 9.5%
2 / 17
BE Left Bloc
Bloco de Esquerda
Left-wing
to far-left
Beatriz Gomes Dias 7.1%
1 / 17
PAN People Animals Nature
Pessoas-Animais-Natureza
Centre-left Manuela Gonzaga 3.0%
0 / 17
NC We, the Citizens!
Nós, Cidadãos!
Centre-right Sofia Afonso Ferreira 0.6%
0 / 17
E Rise Up [d]
Ergue-te
Far-right João Patrocínio 0.5%
0 / 17
PDR Democratic Republican Party
Partido Democrático Republicano
Centre Bruno Fialho 0.3%
0 / 17
IL Liberal Initiative
Iniciativa Liberal
Centre-right
to right-wing
Bruno Horta Soares
CH Enough!
Chega!
Right-wing
to far-right
Nuno Graciano
VP Volt Portugal
Volt Portugal
Centre
to centre-left
Tiago Matos Gomes
STLWe are all Lisbon
Somos todos Lisboa
Right-wing Ossanda Liber

Campaign period

Party slogans

Party or allianceOriginal sloganEnglish translationRefs
ML« Mais Lisboa »"More Lisbon" [9]
NT« Novos Tempos »
« Lisboa pode ser muito mais do que imaginas »
"New Times"
"Lisbon can be much more than you think"
[10]
CDU « Por uma Lisboa com vida »"For a Lisbon with life" [11]
BE « Uma cidade em comum »"A city in common" [12]
PAN « Lisboa nas tuas mãos »"Lisbon in your hands " [13]
IL « 1 vereador liberal faz toda a diferença »"1 liberal councillor makes all the difference" [14]
CH « Chega. Lisboa sem Corrupção »"Enough. Lisbon without corruption" [15]

Candidates' debates

2021 Lisbon local election debates
DateOrganisersModerator(s)   P Present   A Absent invitee N Non-invitee 
ML
Medina
NT
Moedas
CDU
Ferreira
BE
Dias
PAN
Gonzaga
IL
Soares
CH
Graciano
NC
S. Ferreira
E
Patrocínio
PDR
Fialho
VP
Gomes
STL
Liber
Refs
2 Sep 2021 SIC Notícias Clara de Sousa PPPPPPPNNNNN [16]
7 Sep 2021 TVI, TVI24 Sara Pinto PPNNNNNNNNNN [17]
9 Sep 2021 Antena 1 Natália Carvalho PPPPPPPPPPPP [18]
15 Sep 2021 RTP1, RTP3 António José Teixeira PPPPPPPPPPPP [19]

Opinion polling

  Exit poll

Polling firm/LinkFieldwork dateSample size PS
L
PSD
CDS
PPM
MPT
A
CDU BE PAN IL CH OLead
2021 local election26 Sep 202133.3
7
34.3
7
10.5
2
6.2
1
2.7
0
4.2
0
4.4
0
4.4
0
1.0
CESOP–UCP 26 Sep 20214,14631–35
6/8
32–36
6/8
10–13
1/2
5–7
1
2–4
0
3–5
0/1
3–5
0/1
2–9
0
1
ICS/ISCTE 26 Sep 20218,15931.3–
36.3

6/8
30.2–
35.2
6/8
10.4–
13.4
2/3
5.7–
8.7
1/2
1.8–
3.8
0
3.2–
6.2
0/1
2.4–
5.4
0/1
1.6–
4.6
0
1.1
Pitagórica 26 Sep 20216,20632.6–
38.6

7
29.3–
35.3
6/7
6.6–
12.6
2
4.2–
8.2
1
1.0–
5.0
0
3.3–
7.3
0/1
1.9–
5.9
0
2.1–
6.1
0
3.3–
3.7
Intercampus 26 Sep 20216,40632.0–
36.4

6/8
31.2–
35.6
6/8
10.1–
13.7
1/3
5.5–
8.5
0/2
1.6–
4.6
0/1
2.9–
5.9
0/1
1.6–
4.6
0/1
2.5–
3.3
0
0.8
Pitagórica 15–21 Sep 202160040.6
8/9
33.1
6/7
7.6
1
4.7
0/1
3.2
0
3.2
0
2.1
0
5.5
0
7.5
CESOP–UCP 16–20 Sep 20211,29237
7/8
28
5/6
11
1/2
7
1
3
0
5
0/1
3
0
6
0
9
Pitagórica 30 Aug–4 Sep 202160039.8
8/9
32.6
6/7
8.5
1
6.8
1
3.8
0
3.0
0
2.8
0
2.7
0
7.2
Intercampus 25–30 Aug 202164245.2
9
27.0
5
9.7
2
8.5
1
1.8
0
2.1
0
3.2
0
2.5
0
18.2
Eurosondagem 23–26 Aug 20212,22538.6
8
26.9
4
7.7
0/2
6.3
0/2
3.3
0/1
6.3
0/2
4.8
0/2
6.1
0
11.7
Aximage 14–21 Aug 2021792512794222324
ICS/ISCTE 3–18 Jul 2021803423168324411
Intercampus 8–13 Apr 202161146.625.77.16.60.52.36.15.120.9
2019 legislative election 6 Oct 201936.5
(8)
33.1
(7)
7.0
(1)
9.1
(1)
4.1
(0)
4.1
(0)
1.4
(0)
4.7
(0)
3.4
2019 EP election 26 May 201933.9
(7)
31.1
(6)
7.0
(1)
10.7
(2)
6.6
(1)
2.0
(0)
8.7
(0)
2.8
2017 local election 1 Oct 201742.0
8
31.8
6 [c]
9.6
2
7.1
1
3.0
0
6.5
(0)
10.2

Results

Carlos Moedas delivering his victory speech on election night 2021. Discurso de vitoria de Carlos Moedas, autarquicas 2021 (Lusa - Aconteceu em 2021).png
Carlos Moedas delivering his victory speech on election night 2021.

Municipal Council

Summary of the 26 September 2021 Lisbon City Council elections results
Portugal Lisboa Council 2021.svg
Parties Votes%±pp swing Councillors
Total±
PSD / CDS–PP / Alliance / MPT / PPM 83,18534.27Increase2.svg2.57Increase2.svg1
Socialist / LIVRE 80,90733.33Decrease2.svg8.77Decrease2.svg1
Unitary Democratic Coalition 25,55010.53Increase2.svg1.02Steady2.svg0
Left Bloc 15,0576.20Decrease2.svg0.91Steady2.svg0
CHEGA 10,7304.420
Liberal Initiative 10,2134.210
People–Animals–Nature 6,6252.73Decrease2.svg0.30Steady2.svg0
Volt Portugal 1,0160.420
We are all Lisbon (STL)8640.360
We, the Citizens! 4940.20Decrease2.svg0.40Steady2.svg0
Rise Up 3380.14Decrease2.svg0.40Steady2.svg0
Democratic Republican 3190.13Decrease2.svg0.20Steady2.svg0
Total valid235,29896.93Increase2.svg1.117Steady2.svg0
Blank ballots4,8231.99Decrease2.svg0.6
Invalid ballots2,6221.08Decrease2.svg0.4
Total242,743100.00
Registered voters/turnout476,05050.99Decrease2.svg0.1
Source: Lisbon 2021 election results

Municipal Assembly

Summary of the 26 September 2021 Lisbon Municipal Assembly elections
results
Portugal Lisbon Assembly 2021.svg
Parties Votes%±pp swing Seats
Total±
PSD / CDS–PP / Alliance / MPT / PPM 75,61631.15Decrease2.svg0.917Steady2.svg0
Socialist / LIVRE 74,76530.80Decrease2.svg6.917Decrease2.svg5
Unitary Democratic Coalition 26,89011.08Increase2.svg0.96Steady2.svg0
Left Bloc 18,5287.63Decrease2.svg0.84Steady2.svg0
Liberal Initiative 14,4475.953
CHEGA 13,0045.363
People–Animals–Nature 8,5733.53Decrease2.svg0.81Decrease2.svg1
Volt Portugal 1,4010.580
We are all Lisbon (STL)1,0690.440
Rise Up 4380.18Decrease2.svg0.40Steady2.svg0
Total valid234,73196.70Increase2.svg1.151Steady2.svg0
Blank ballots5,3372.20Decrease2.svg0.7
Invalid ballots2,6711.10Decrease2.svg0.4
Total242,739100.00
Registered voters/turnout476,74050.92Decrease2.svg0.2
Source: Lisbon 2021 election results

Parish Assemblies

Results of the 26 September 2021 Lisbon Parish Assembly elections
Parish%S%S%S%S%S%S%S%STotal
S
MLNT CDU BE IL CH PAN IND
Ajuda 51.5815.9213.626.513.6-5.5-13
Alcântara 53.7818.839.315.3-6.213.8-13
Alvalade 28.6633.278.626.416.414.215.0119
Areeiro 25.9442.677.715.8-7.014.6-3.4-13
Arroios 23.8529.0612.5310.725.514.215.413.6-19
Avenidas Novas 26.8543.096.915.819.124.8119
Beato 39.5618.2313.029.412.5-7.515.8-13
Belém 24.2446.476.614.0-8.614.8-2.6-13
Benfica 45.61023.758.926.513.8-5.013.3-19
Campo de Ourique 34.3534.058.817.516.414.8-13
Campolide 38.9625.749.016.816.815.5-3.7-13
Carnide 18.2320.1345.573.3-3.5-3.8-2.1-13
Estrela 23.7347.887.115.6-7.315.3-13
Lumiar 27.1641.398.715.216.614.613.2-19
Marvila 48.51113.7311.726.912.4-9.222.4-19
Misericórdia 33.1627.4412.3210.615.1-4.5-4.0-13
Olivais 34.7824.9513.838.013.4-6.814.5119
Parque das Nações 34.4535.867.414.2-8.014.4-2.8-13
Penha de França 37.0820.6413.5311.223.8-5.314.5119
Santa Clara 36.2622.0312.426.413.8-11.2113
Santa Maria Maior 45.0816.4214.327.713.6-4.2-3.3-1.4-13
Santo António 23.6344.678.117.416.713.4-3.4-13
São Domingos de Benfica 32.8735.388.626.115.814.2-3.8-19
São Vicente 28.7519.4322.9311.625.0-3.5-4.3-13
Total33.314630.512311.5476.8215.5145.2112.830.71366
Source: Election Results

References

  1. Portugal, Rádio e Televisão de. "Vitória-surpresa do PSD e direita em Lisboa, PS ganha no país". Vitória-surpresa do PSD e direita em Lisboa, PS ganha no país (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  2. Portugal, Rádio e Televisão de. "CML. Carlos Moedas vence Lisboa contrariando todas as sondagens". CML. Carlos Moedas vence Lisboa contrariando todas as sondagens (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  3. Portugal, Rádio e Televisão de. "Fernando Medina assume derrota "pessoal e intransmissível" em Lisboa". Fernando Medina assume derrota "pessoal e intransmissível" em Lisboa (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  4. Portugal, Rádio e Televisão de. "João Ferreira destaca crescimento da CDU em Lisboa". João Ferreira destaca crescimento da CDU em Lisboa (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  5. "Um mau resultado, os assim-assim e um líder que segurou o partido". www.dn.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  6. "::: Lei n.º 169/99, de 18 de Setembro". www.pgdlisboa.pt. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  7. "Eleição dos titulares dos órgãos das autarquias locais" (in Portuguese). Diário da República. 14 August 2001. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  8. "Autarquicas 2021 Candidatos" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  9. "IMG_6722". EPHEMERA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  10. "O BOM REVERSO DA MEDALHA – COMEÇAM A CHEGAR". EPHEMERA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  11. "Ephemera Facebook". EPHEMERA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  12. "Ephemera Facebook". EPHEMERA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  13. "Twitter Manuela Gonzaga". Manuela Gonzaga (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  14. "ELEIÇÕES AUTÁRQUICAS DE 2021 – LISBOA – FREGUESIAS – IL". EPHEMERA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  15. "Facebbok CHEGA-Lisboa". CHEGA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  16. "Debate autárquico. A luta política entre os sete candidatos a Lisboa". SIC Notícias (in Portuguese). 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  17. "O debate entre Medina e Moedas na íntegra". TVI24 (in Portuguese). 7 September 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  18. "Debate com todos os candidatos à Câmara de Lisboa". RTP (in Portuguese). 9 September 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  19. "Eleições Autárquicas 2021 - Debates Episódio 22 - de 15 Set 2021 - RTP Play - RTP". RTP (in Portuguese). 15 September 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2021.

Notes

  1. Coalition with PSD, CDS–PP, Alliance, MPT and PPM.
  2. Coalition between the PS and LIVRE.
  3. 1 2 Sum of the PSD and CDS separate results in 2017.
  4. In July 2020, the National Renovator Party (PNR) changed its name to Rise Up (E).