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Presidential elections are expected to be held in Portugal on 18 January 2026, with a possible second round on 8 February 2026. [1] [2] The incumbent president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (president since 2016, supported by PSD), is constitutionally barred from running for a third consecutive term.
Several personalities declared their candidacy, including the former coordinator of the COVID-19 Vaccination Task Force Henrique Gouveia e Melo [3] and former Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Luís Marques Mendes. [4] The Socialist Party (PS) officially supports former party leader António José Seguro. [5] [6] [7] André Ventura, the leader of Chega, played with the idea of being a candidate, [8] until committing in September 2025. [9] Other personalities, like both MEPs João Cotrim Figueiredo (IL) and Catarina Martins (BE), also announced their candidacies, as well as former MP António Filipe (PCP) and MP Jorge Pinto (L). Almost 40 candidates have, so far, expressed their intention to be on the Presidential ballot. [10]
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was re-elected in January 2021 with nearly 61 percent of the votes in the first round. He took the oath of office on March 9, 2021, and continued the period of cohabitation with Socialist Party Prime Minister António Costa, which lasted until April 2024. This cohabitation ended after the March 2024 elections, which saw Luís Montenegro, from the Social Democratic Party (the same party as the President), nominated as prime minister.
In Portugal, the president serves as the head of state with primarily ceremonial duties, though the president holds some political influence and can dissolve Parliament during a crisis. The president also resides at the Belém Palace in Lisbon. Since the Carnation Revolution, all Portuguese presidents have been re-elected for a second term and never tried a third, with one exception: Mário Soares (PS), who sought a non-consecutive third term in the 2006 presidential election but lost. Thus, every president since 1976 has served exactly two terms.
By the end of his 10 years in office, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa saw a very strong drop in his popularity according to polling.
To stand for election, candidates must be of Portuguese origin and over 35 years old, gather 7,500 signatures of support one month before the election, and submit them to the Constitutional Court of Portugal. Then, the Constitutional Court has to certify if the candidacies submitted meet the requirements to appear on the ballot. [11]
A candidate must receive a majority of votes (50% plus one vote) to be elected. If no candidate achieves a majority in the first round, a runoff election (i.e., second round, held between the two candidates who receive the most votes in the first round) has to be held. [12] The highest number of candidacies ever accepted was ten, in 2016. Since the Carnation Revolution, there has only ever been a single runoff election, in the 1986 Portuguese presidential election, when Diogo Freitas do Amaral (46.31% of votes in the first round and 48.82% in the second) lost to Mário Soares (25.43% in the first round and 51.18% in the second).
This section only includes the candidates who have received the support of any party represented in the Assembly of the Republic, who have appeared as an option in opinion polling or whose candidacy has received coverage by more than two nationwide TV channels or newspapers.
| Candidate | Party support | Political office(s) | Details | Campaign announced | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| André Pestana (48) | None | Teacher; national leader of the Union of All Education Professionals (S.T.O.P.). Former Left Bloc (BE) and Socialist Alternative Movement (MAS) member. | 21 December 2024 Website | [13] [14] | ||
| André Ventura (42) | | Leader of the Opposition (since 2025) President of CHEGA (since 2019) Member of the Council of State (since 2024) Member of Parliament for Lisbon (since 2019) | Founder of CHEGA; candidate in the 2021 presidential election, finished third with 11.9% of the votes. | 4 January 2025 Website | [15] [8] [9] | |
| Manuela Magno (72) | None | Volt Portugal (VP) member; physics professor at University of Évora; failed candidate in the 2006 presidential election. | 31 January 2025 Website | [16] [17] [18] | ||
| Luís Marques Mendes (68) | Member of the Council of State (since 2011) President of the Social Democratic Party (2005–2007) Minister of Parliamentary Affairs (2002–2004) Minister in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister (1992–1995) Other offices
| Social Democratic Party (PSD) member from 1974 to 2025, suspending his party membership to run for president; political commentator on SIC. | 6 February 2025 Website | [4] [19] [20] | ||
| Henrique Gouveia e Melo (64) | Chief of the Naval Staff (2021–2024) Coordinator of the COVID-19 Vaccination Plan Task Force (2021) Commander of the European Maritime Force (2017–2019) | Independent; Admiral; retired Navy officer. | 29 May 2025 Website | [3] [21] [22] | ||
| Joana Amaral Dias (52) | Member of Parliament for Lisbon (2003) | Current TV pundit; adherent of feminism and skepticism towards COVID vaccines and climate change; former Left Bloc (BE) member from 2002 to 2014. | 10 June 2025 | [23] [24] | ||
| António José Seguro (63) | Secretary-General of the Socialist Party (2011–2014) Member of the Council of State (2011–2014) President of the Parliamentary Group of the Socialist Party (2004–2005) Minister in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister (2001–2002) Other offices
| Socialist Party (PS) member; political commentator on CNN Portugal; university professor. | 15 June 2025 Website | [25] [26] [27] | ||
| Vitorino Silva (54) | President of React, Include, Recycle (2019–2022) President of the Parish Council of Rans (1994–2002) | More commonly known as Tino de Rans; React, Include, Recycle (RIR) member, failed to receive the support of the party; paver; candidate in the 2016 presidential election, finishing sixth with 3.3% of the votes, and candidate in the 2021 presidential election, finishing seventh with 3.0% of the votes. | 17 June 2025 | [28] [29] [30] | ||
| António Filipe (62) | Vice President of the Assembly of the Republic (2002–2009; 2011–2015; 2019–2022) Member of Parliament for Lisbon (1987–2009; 2024–2025) Member of Parliament for Santarém (2009–2022) | Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) member; jurist; university professor. | 29 June 2025 Website | [31] [32] [33] | ||
| José Cardoso (53) | President of the Liberal Social Party (since 2025) | Founder of the Liberal Social Party (PLS). | 21 July 2025 | [34] [35] | ||
| João Cotrim de Figueiredo (64) | Member of the European Parliament (since 2024) President of the Liberal Initiative (2019–2023) Member of Parliament for Lisbon (2019–2024) | Liberal Initiative (IL) member; businessman; former President of the Tourism of Portugal (2013–2016). | 13 August 2025 Website | [36] [37] | ||
| Catarina Martins (52) | Member of the European Parliament (since 2024) Coordinator of the Left Bloc (2012–2023) Member of Parliament for Porto (2009–2023) | Left Bloc (BE) member since 2010; actress. | 10 September 2025 Website | [38] [39] | ||
| Manuel João Vieira (63) | None | Independent; perennial candidate; satirical politician; singer, vocalist of Ena Pá 2000; failed candidate in the 2001, 2011 and 2016 presidential elections. | 22 September 2025 Website | [40] [41] | ||
| Jorge Pinto (38) | Member of Parliament for Porto (since 2024) | LIVRE (L) member and founder; environmental engineer; writer. | 22 October 2025 Website | [42] [43] | ||
| Ricardo Sousa (52) | City Councillor in Paredes (2021–2025) | Social Democratic Party (PSD) member; failed to gain the support of the party. | 8 November 2025 Website | [44] [45] | ||
| Candidate | Party support | Political office(s) | Details | Campaign announced | Campaign suspended | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mariana Leitão (43) | President of the Liberal Initiative (since 2025) President of the Parliamentary Group of the Liberal Initiative (since 2024) Member of Parliament for Lisbon (since 2024) | Liberal Initiative (IL) member since 2019; represented Portugal in the 2022 World Bridge Championship; withdrew after announcing her candidacy for the IL party leadership. | 2 February 2025 | 5 June 2025 (endorsed Cotrim) | [75] [76] [77] | ||
| Tim Vieira (50) | None | Independent; businessman; investor on the TV show Shark Tank on SIC; founder of Brave Generation Academy. | May 2023 Website | 19 August 2025 | [78] [79] | ||
| Pedro Tinoco de Faria (63) | None | Retired Lieutenant colonel; businessperson; writer. | 1 May 2025 Website | 11 November 2025 (endorsed Ventura) | [35] [80] [81] | ||
| Candidate | Original slogan | English translation | Refs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| André Pestana | « É hora de abrir a pestana » | "It's time to open your eyes" | [165] | |
| António Filipe | « Com o Povo, por Abril, por Portugal » | "With the People, for April, for Portugal" | [166] | |
| António José Seguro | « Seguro Portugal » | "Safe Portugal" | [167] | |
| Catarina Martins | « Contigo » | "With you" | [168] | |
| Henrique Gouveia e Melo | « Unir Portugal » | "Unite Portugal" | [169] | |
| João Cotrim Figueiredo | « Imagina Portugal » | "Imagine Portugal" | [170] | |
| Jorge Pinto | « Presidente Presente » | "President Present" | [171] | |
| Luís Marques Mendes | « O valor da experiência » | "The value of experience" | [172] | |
| Manuela Magno | « Cidadania ativa, por Portugal, na Europa e no mundo » | "Active citizenship, for Portugal, in Europe and in the world" | [173] | |
| Raul Perestrello | « Valorizar Portugal » | "Valuing Portugal" | [174] | |
The three main TV channels in Portugal, RTP1, SIC and TVI, agreed to host 28 one-on-one debates between the 8 main candidates on the ballot. [175] However, this format is being challenged, as the three main broadcasters are being accused of forcing an exclusivity agreement so that the debates only take place on these three channels. [176] CMTV has filed a complaint against the RTP, SIC and TVI, and the Electoral Commission (CNE) accused the networks of an "anti-competitive matrix". [177]
| Date | Time | Organisers | Moderator(s) | P Present [a] S Surrogate [b] NI Not invited I Invited A Absent invitee | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ref. | ||||||||||||
| Ind. | PSD | PS | CH | IL | BE | CDU | L | |||||
| 17 Nov 2025 | 9PM | TVI | NI | NI | I | I | NI | NI | NI | NI | [178] | |
| 18 Nov 2025 | SIC | NI | I | NI | NI | NI | NI | I | NI | [178] | ||
| 20 Nov 2025 | RTP1 | I | NI | NI | NI | I | NI | NI | NI | [178] | ||
| 23 Nov 2025 | SIC | I | NI | NI | NI | NI | I | NI | NI | [178] | ||
| 24 Nov 2025 | RTP1 | NI | NI | NI | NI | I | NI | NI | I | [178] | ||
| 25 Nov 2025 | SIC | NI | I | NI | I | NI | NI | NI | NI | [178] | ||
| 26 Nov 2025 | TVI | I | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | I | [178] | ||
| 27 Nov 2025 | RTP1 | NI | NI | I | NI | I | NI | NI | NI | [178] | ||
| 28 Nov 2025 | TVI | NI | NI | NI | I | NI | I | NI | NI | [178] | ||
| 29 Nov 2025 | RTP1 | NI | I | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | I | [178] | ||
| 30 Nov 2025 | SIC | NI | NI | NI | NI | I | NI | I | NI | [178] | ||
| 1 Dec 2025 | RTP1 | NI | NI | I | NI | NI | NI | NI | I | [178] | ||
| 2 Dec 2025 | TVI | I | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | I | NI | [178] | ||
| 3 Dec 2025 | RTP1 | NI | I | I | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | [178] | ||
| 4 Dec 2025 | TVI | NI | NI | NI | NI | I | I | NI | NI | [178] | ||
| 6 Dec 2025 | SIC | NI | NI | I | NI | NI | I | NI | NI | [178] | ||
| 7 Dec 2025 | TVI | NI | I | NI | NI | I | NI | NI | NI | [178] | ||
| 8 Dec 2025 | RTP1 | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | I | I | [178] | ||
| 9 Dec 2025 | SIC | I | NI | I | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | [178] | ||
| 10 Dec 2025 | RTP1 | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | I | I | NI | [178] | ||
| 11 Dec 2025 | SIC | NI | NI | NI | I | NI | NI | NI | I | [178] | ||
| 12 Dec 2025 | RTP1 | NI | I | NI | NI | NI | I | NI | NI | [178] | ||
| 13 Dec 2025 | RTP1 | NI | NI | NI | I | NI | NI | I | NI | [178] | ||
| 15 Dec 2025 | RTP1 | I | NI | NI | I | NI | NI | NI | NI | [178] | ||
| 19 Dec 2025 | SIC | NI | NI | NI | I | I | NI | NI | NI | [178] | ||
| 20 Dec 2025 | TVI | NI | NI | I | NI | NI | NI | I | NI | [178] | ||
| 21 Dec 2025 | RTP1 | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | I | NI | I | [178] | ||
| 22 Dec 2025 | TVI | I | I | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | [178] | ||
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