2025 Lisbon local election

Last updated
2025 Lisbon local elections
Bandeira municipal de Lisboa.png
  2021 12 October 2025

All 17 Councillors in the Lisbon City Council
9 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
 
Carlos Moedas Web Summit 2021 - Opening night.jpg
Reuniao com a associacao Causa Publica, Lisboa, Nov.2023 (53320896231).jpg
Leader Carlos Moedas Alexandra Leitão
Party PSD PS
Alliance For You, Lisbon [a] Live Lisbon [b]
Last election7 seats, 38.5% [c] 8 seats, 42.2% [d]

 
Joao Ferreira (48951288883) (cropped).jpg
Logo Chega!.svg
Leader João Ferreira Bruno Mascarenhas
Party PCP CH
Alliance CDU
Last election2 seats, 10.5%0 seats, 4.4%

Incumbent Mayor

Carlos Moedas
PSD



The 2025 Lisbon local election will be held on 12 October 2025 to elect the members for Lisbon City Council, Lisbon Municipal Assembly and the city's 24 parish assemblies.

Contents

Carlos Moedas, from the Social Democratic Party, will seek a second term as mayor of Lisbon, [1] in coalition with CDS – People's Party and this time also with the Liberal Initiative, [2] while the Socialist Party, led by Alexandra Leitão, will lead 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 will present, for the fourth consecutive time, João Ferreira as candidate for mayor. [7] Chega will present local Lisbon assembly member Bruno Mascarenhas as its mayoral candidate. [8]

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. [9] 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 achieved 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. [10]

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. [11] [12]

Parties and candidates

Party/CoalitionPolitical
position
Candidate2021 resultRef.
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
[13] [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
[14] [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 Almeida0.4%
0 / 17
[15]
ADN National Democratic Alternative
Alternativa Democrática Nacional
Far-right Adelaide Ferreira 0.1% [e]
0 / 17
[16]
ND New Right
Nova Direita
Right-wing Ossanda Liber [17]
DAAlliance Democratic
Democrática Aliança PPM, PTP
Centre-right Tomaz Ponce Dentinho [18]

Campaign period

Party slogans

Party or allianceOriginal sloganEnglish translationRefs
PTL« Por Ti, Lisboa »"For You, Lisbon" [19]
VL« Viver Lisboa »"To Live Lisbon" [20]
CDU « Lisboa, cidade da nossa vida »"Lisbon, the city of our lives" [21]
CH « Defender Lisboa »"Defend Lisbon" [22]

Candidates' debates

2025 Lisbon local election debates
DateOrganisersModerator(s)   P Present [f]   NI Not invited  I Invited   A Absent invitee 
PTL
Moedas
VL
Leitão
CDU
Ferreira
CH
Mascarenhas
Refs
10 Sep 2025 SIC IININI [23]

Opinion polling

Polling firm/LinkFieldwork dateSample sizePTLVL CDU CH OLead
PSD CDS IL PS L BE PAN
ICS/ISCTE 14–27 Jul 202580041
8
36
7
5
0
14
2
4
0
5
2025 Legislative election 18 May 202531.7
(6)
9.3
(1)
23.3
(5)
9.4
(2)
2.7
(0)
1.7
(0)
3.7
(0)
14.5
(3)
3.8
(0)
8.4
2024 EP election 9 Jun 202427.9
(5)
14.7
(3)
26.7
(5)
7.5
(1)
6.1
(1)
1.4
(0)
4.9
(1)
7.6
(1)
3.2
(0)
1.2
2024 Legislative election 10 Mar 202432.3
(7)
7.5
(1)
26.2
(5)
7.7
(1)
5.1
(1)
2.1
(0)
3.5
(0)
11.7
(2)
3.9
(0)
6.1
2022 Legislative election 30 Jan 202227.4
(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)
2.6
(0)
6.6
2021 local election 26 Sep 202134.3
7
4.2
0
33.3
7
6.2
1
2.7
0
10.5
2
4.4
0
4.4
0
1.0

Notes

  1. Coalition with PSD, IL and CDS–PP.
  2. Coalition with PS, L, BE and PAN.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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).
  6. Denotes a main invitee attending the event.

References

  1. 1 2 "Moedas recandidata-se à Câmara de Lisboa. "Ainda tenho muito para dar"". Notícias ao Minuto (in Portuguese). 2025-07-11. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  2. 1 2 "PSD e IL têm acordo para candidaturas autárquicas em Lisboa e Porto". Expresso (in Portuguese). 2025-06-05. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  3. 1 2 Henriques, João Pedro (2025-07-17). "Há acordo para coligação das esquerdas em Lisboa, só o PCP fica de fora". Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-07-17.
  4. Begonha, Ana Bacelar (2025-01-15). "Frente de esquerda? BE e Livre acreditam que é possível "fazer caminho" com Alexandra Leitão". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-01-16.
  5. Lopes, Ana Sá (2025-01-13). "Alexandra Leitão é a candidata do PS à Câmara de Lisboa". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-02-16.
  6. Gonçalves, Diogo; Candeias, Humberto (2024-07-15). "Autárquicas: PCP recusa coligação de esquerda em Lisboa". SIC Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-07-17.
  7. 1 2 Mesquita, Joana (2024-09-17). "João Ferreira volta a ser o candidato da CDU a Lisboa". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  8. 1 2 "Bruno Mascarenhas é o candidato do Chega à Câmara Municipal de Lisboa". SIC Notícias (in Portuguese). 2025-03-09. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  9. Portugal, Rádio e Televisão de (2021-09-27). "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 2025-01-14.
  10. Portugal, Rádio e Televisão de (2021-09-27). "CML. Carlos Moedas vence Lisboa contrariando todas as sondagens". CML. Carlos Moedas vence Lisboa contrariando todas as sondagens (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  11. "::: Lei n.º 169/99, de 18 de Setembro". www.pgdlisboa.pt. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  12. "Eleição dos titulares dos órgãos das autarquias locais" (in Portuguese). Diário da República. 14 August 2001. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  13. ""Alexandra Leitão? Qualquer candidato do PS terá dificuldades em ombrear com Moedas em Lisboa"". SIC Notícias (in Portuguese). 2025-01-13. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  14. "Alexandra Leitão é a candidata do PS à Câmara de Lisboa". Expresso (in Portuguese). 2025-01-13. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  15. Portugal, Rádio e Televisão de (2025-07-16). "Carlos Moedas (PSD) diz que escolha em Lisboa é entre moderação e radicalismo". Carlos Moedas (PSD) diz que escolha em Lisboa é entre moderação e radicalismo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  16. "Cantora Adelaide Ferreira é candidata do ADN a Lisboa". www.cmjornal.pt (in Portuguese). 26 July 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  17. Lusa, Agência. "Ossanda Líber é candidata do Nova Direita à presidência da Câmara de Lisboa". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  18. "Coligação PPM/PTP candidata dirigente monárquico na "verdadeira AD" em Lisboa". Notícias ao Minuto (in Portuguese). 2025-08-20. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  19. "Lista 'Por ti, Lisboa – MOEDAS 2025' entregue. A equipa que lidero é a mais preparada e a mais experiente para dar ainda mais aos lisboetas". Carlos Moedas X account (in Portuguese). 18 August 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  20. "Vamos #ViverLisboa". Alexandra Leitão Facebook account (in Portuguese). 13 August 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  21. "None". CDU Lisboa Facebook account (in Portuguese). 16 June 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  22. "Autárquicas 2025". Bruno Mascarenhas Facebook account (in Portuguese). 25 July 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  23. "Carlos Moedas e Alexandra Leitão frente a frente no primeiro debate das autárquicas". SIC Notícias (in Portuguese). 21 August 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.