According to the law, the re-establishment of the parish occurs once the elected bodies take office in October. However, there is no power vacuum between the elections and the swearing-in of the new bodies, as current parish councils retain their competencies during this period.
The National Election Commission (CNE) indicates that on the election day, residents of these municipalities will experience minimal changes. The primary alterations are in the names of the parishes on ballots, while voting locations will remain unchanged from previous elections.
The reinstatement of parishes arises from the disaggregation of 135 parish unions across 70 municipalities, primarily in the north and center of the mainland. These were the regions with the most significant number of aggregations in 2013.
In addition to disaggregating united parishes, parishes that were terminated, such as Brenha in Figueira da Foz and Bicos in Odemira, will also be reinstated.
The rest of the municipalities on the mainland remain unchanged.
In 2013, the number of parish councils in mainland Portugal was reduced from 4,259 to 3,091, including the unique case of Corvo in the Azores, the only municipality in the country without a Parish Council, with its functions carried out by the Municipal Council.
Following the implementation of the new administrative map, Portugal will have 3,258 parish councils.
Key Points of the Parish Reinstatement Following the Municipal Elections on October 12:
Reinstatement of 302 Aggregated Parishes from 2013
Subsequent to the October 12 municipal elections, 135 parish unions created in 2013 will be dissolved. In total, 302 parishes will be reinstated, retaining their previous names and territories established before the 2013 administrative reform.
Voting in Reinstated Parishes on Election Day
Each new administrative reorganization will have a voting assembly, which can be “split into as many sections as necessary, according to the law, with no restrictions on functioning in different locations,” according to the CNE.
The voting assembly will be organized into voting posts, each corresponding to a parish existing before the 2013 aggregations.
What Changes for Voters
For voters, the main change compared to previous elections is the designation of the parish on the ballot.
Furthermore, as per the CNE, previous voting locations will remain the same, “unless there is justification for any change.”
Constitution of the New Parish
The law foresees the reinstatement of parishes aggregated in 2013 “at the time of the installation of their new bodies, elected in the 2025 municipal elections.” Thus, the parishes will be restored when the newly elected take office.
Preparation for Parish Disaggregation
To prepare for disaggregation, dissolution commissions were created for each parish union to be disaggregated.
These entities are responsible for taking all necessary actions to dissolve the aggregated parish, including approving updated maps of personnel, assets, properties, rights, and obligations so that these workers, assets, and properties can be shared among the new municipalities.
For each of the 302 parishes to be reinstated, an installation commission has also been established, tasked with preparing the elections for local government bodies and defining the headquarters of the reinstated parishes.
In the case of parishes that were extinguished (rather than aggregated) in 2013, now being reinstated (such as Brenha in Figueira da Foz and Bicos in Odemira), the installation commission will hold both extinction and installation commission competencies.
Both commissions comprise an odd number of members: the president of the to-be-dissolved parish council, representatives of parties in the Parish Assembly, and elected citizens.
Sharing of Assets and Obligations
Reinstated parishes inherit the rights and obligations of the extinguished parishes.
According to a government clarification proposed in parliament, if the dissolution commission has not decided on this matter or has made an incomplete decision, a proportional division of rights and obligations applies, based on the number of voters and the area of their respective parishes, weighted equally between the variables.
The sharing will consider assets and properties belonging to the parishes before the 2013 aggregations, as well as items acquired after the union.
Current Local Government Bodies
Except for the competencies reserved by law for dissolution and installation commissions, the current presidents of the disaggregating parish unions remain in office, and parish bodies retain their legal powers until the new local government bodies take office following the October elections.
Current local bodies are also “obliged to ensure the necessary means for the normal functioning of parishes resulting from disaggregation, particularly regarding IT software and ongoing goods and services.”
However, between the election date and the installation of new elected bodies, “they may only manage the assets and liabilities, rights and obligations, as well as legal, judicial, and contractual responsibilities of the parishes whose bodies have not yet taken office, with powers restricted to their respective geographical areas.”
These officials with executive roles must report and account to the Court of Auditors for the period from January 1, 2025, until the parish is considered dissolved.
Management of Parishes Following Municipal Elections
To ensure the ongoing management of new local governments following the municipal elections, the government proposed that the Directorate-General for Local Authorities (DGAL) should advance the transfer to the dissolving parish unions of “the amounts from the Parish Financing Fund and Surplus” planned in the 2025 State Budget, corresponding to November and December, in October.
This measure also ensures payment of salaries for the involved parish council employees until the end of the year.
Workers
The workers of the parish unions will be allocated to reinstated parishes by the execution committee.
In cases of distribution conflicts, priority will be given to workers whose residence is closest to the new parish headquarters and based on seniority.
Decisions and Contracts of Parish Unions
The dissolution of parish unions and the creation of new parishes “does not terminate deliberations with external effectiveness,” according to the government proposal.
Therefore, the transfer of competencies agreed between municipalities and parish unions undergoing disaggregation remains effective upon the installation of new local governments, unless renounced “by one of the parties.”
Term Limits for Local Governors
Contrary to what occurred with the parish aggregations in 2013, the current municipal election law does not allow presidents of parish unions who have reached the limit of three consecutive terms to run for parishes resulting from the reversal process in the respective territory.
