President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa addressed the results of the local elections on Tuesday afternoon, noting the unique nature of each municipality’s decision-making. “People didn’t believe me when I said each municipality stands alone, leading to decisions understandable only for local reasons,” he remarked.
“The debate was centered on local power, which experienced significant changes. Many local leaders completed their last term, and even among those who sought re-election, there were changes,” he added.
For Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, “this is the strength of Democracy” and the “Democracy builds upon this vibrancy. The Portuguese people are attentive, alive, participative, and mobilized.”
When asked if these changes are a cause for concern, the head of state was adamant: “No.”
“It was the vote of the Portuguese – in some cases, they chose to maintain past solutions, in others, to find different or even completely new solutions within the same or different political spheres, and they did this freely, resulting in the map you know,” he stated.
For the President, “there are always surprises,” as “Democracy is full of surprises.” He continued, “The idea that what worked at a particular time will last indefinitely is not true. We all experience such surprises, and Democracy should reflect this vitality.”
“Those claiming a disconnect from politics, politicians, and local power are wrong,” he emphasized.
Marcelo further commented on the PSD’s successful night in local power, highlighting that this indicates “the Portuguese decided, more expressively, to vote for a particular political formation. They understood that in local power, there are forces of greater significance, and the largest among them was chosen to return to the leadership of the Association of Municipalities and the Association of Parishes.”
Regarding potential challenges in governance in some municipalities due to the election results, the President reiterated that “each municipality must find a solution.” He recounted his own experiences in local power, stating, “I have been in both power and opposition. There are very different situations, similar to national power, requiring concerted efforts,” he concluded.
Following Sunday’s call to the polls, the PSD, whether alone or in coalitions, emerged as the party with the most elected mayors, securing 136 positions and taking over the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities. Meanwhile, the PS, which had held the top spot since 2021, lost its leading position, winning 126 municipalities alone and gaining two more in coalition with Livre and PAN.
After being the second party in the legislative elections in May, Chega succeeded in electing three mayors – in São Vicente (Madeira), Albufeira (Algarve), and Entroncamento (Santarém district). Although it gained slightly more than 600,000 votes, it was a decrease from the 1.4 million votes received in the legislative elections.
The abstention rate was 40.74%, according to provisional data from the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration, marking the lowest since 2005 and more than five percentage points below the rate recorded four years ago.
