Pedro Pimpão, president of the Social Democrat Mayors, is expected to succeed Luísa Salgueiro, mayor of Matosinhos elected by the Socialist Party, in leading the Board of Directors of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP).
In the municipal elections on October 12, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) won the highest number of municipalities, reclaiming the ANMP from the Socialist Party (PS), which had held it since 2013.
Nationally, the PSD, either on its own or through coalitions, won in 136 municipalities compared to 128 for the PS. In 2021, the PSD had won in 114 municipalities against 149 for the socialists.
Pedro Pimpão explained that his campaign aims to represent “all municipalities, from all regions and political sensibilities.”
“My candidacy has the support of mayors from all ideological backgrounds and all regions of the country. Currently, I am continuing to make contacts to ensure the candidacy is as inclusive as possible,” he added.
Pedro Pimpão, 45, has a degree in Law. In October, he was elected for a second term as mayor of Pombal, in the district of Leiria.
He is a member of the current Board of Directors of the ANMP and serves as vice-president of the Intermunicipal Community of the Leiria Region.
Among other roles, he has been a deputy and president of the Pombal Parish Council.
For the 2025-2029 mandate, Pedro Pimpão outlines various priorities, including a new model of local funding, responsible decentralization (with annual reviews of actual costs), territorial cohesion and regionalization (such as differentiated tax incentives), and the modernization and use of Artificial Intelligence in municipalities (with the creation of a national plan).
Additionally, he highlights agile licensing and investment (and digital interoperability among entities), valuing human resources (such as incentives for settling in low-density areas), the new European funding cycle 2028-2035, the Statute of Local Elected Officials (demanding dignified conditions in the exercise of functions and enhanced legal protection), and Portuguese-speaking municipalism (technical cooperation and joint training with the Community of Portuguese Language Countries).
The celebration of 50 years of Local Power in Portugal, the revision of the Municipal Electoral Law, the enhancement of parishes, and municipal codification (gathering dispersed legislation into a single code) are also among the priorities.
Pedro Pimpão praised the work of the current ANMP leadership, considering it significant “in defending local autonomy, negotiating decentralization, and institutional strengthening.”
The ANMP’s electoral congress will take place on December 13 and 14 in Viana do Castelo.
