PSD wins lion’s share of councils in Portugal’s local elections – Carlos Moedas wins second term as Lisbon mayor

Portugal’s centre-right PSD party won the majority of councils in Sunday’s municipal council elections with the opposition socialist party PS coming in second place, and the independent candidates in third – winning 20 councils –  in an election that saw a disappointing turnout of just over 40% of the electorate, but the PSD winning the greatest number of councils in 20 years.

With more votes, more mandates, more presidents of the ‘juntas’ (parishes) and the municipal and borough councils, the PSD has once again become “the largest party in local power,” said Prime Minister Luís Montenegro in his speech in reaction to the municipal results.

In the same speech, the president of the PSD made an implicit reference to Ánibal Cavaco Silva, former two-term PSD Prime Minister (1985-1995) and President of Portugal (2006-2016) whose PSD party in 1985 won the local elections when he was prime minister

Alone and in coalition, the PSD won 136 councils, which meant that after 12 years the party once again leads the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP) and the National Association of Boroughs and Parishes. (ANF)

It overturned 20 years in which the centre-right PSD party had been out in the cold in local elections. (2001, 2005 and 2009)

Despite the wins, Luís Montenegro admitted that the party had some “unpleasant surprises” with the PSD losing Viseu, Braganza, Coimbra and Faro.

The PSD, including with coalitions, won 136 councils, while the PS won 128 and independents won 20.

The PSD won Lisbon, Porto, Sintra, Vila Nova de Gaia, Braga, Ponta Delgado, Funchal and, the surprise of the night, Beja, which had been led by the PS.

The PS won Viseu (it has held it since 1989), Braganza, Coimbra, and Faro, Loures, Almada, Amadora and Matosinhos.

The far-right Chega party won three councils: Albufeira, Entroncamento, and São Vicente in Madeira. Chega leader André Ventura admitted that he had expected more, but highlighted the gains his party had made in the local elections.

The left-wing CDU won 12 seats, but lost seven compared to the 2021 elections. The communist PCP/Verdes (Greens) coalition lost strongholds such as Évora and Setúbal, in addition to Serpa, but recovered Mora and Montemor-o-Novo. The PCP’s secretary general, Paulo Raimundo, acknowledged defeat in the municipal elections.

The conservative CDS retains the six municipalities it had, like Albergaria-a-Velha and Ponte de Lima. The party’s president, Nuno Melo, described Sunday’s election night as “very fortunate” because his party managed to keep six city councils and win one more in coalition.

In Lisbon, Carlos Moedas led the PSD to victory with an estimated 37.9% to 41.9% of the votes.

His PS opposition candidate, Alexandra Leitão came in second place with a percentage of between 34.8% and 38.8%.

The left-wing CDU, however, gained ground with an estimated 8.9-12.9%, undermining the PS result for Alexandra Leitão. Chega will likely garner between 7-11%.

In his victory speech, Carlos Moedas said: “We’ve gained 30,000 votes more than we had four years ago and that is absolutely extraordinary. Lisboners can rest assured that their interests will always be above any other interest.”

Sources: RTP, CNN Portugal.

epa12449635 Carlos Moedas (C), candidate of the coalition PSD/IL/CDS for Lisbon City Council, delivers his victory speech during election night for the local elections in Lisbon, Portugal, 13 October 2025. More than 9.3 million voters were eligible to vote nationwide on 12 October 2025. EPA/ANTONO PEDRO SANTOS
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