At 11:30, the Guarda Nacional Republicada (GNR) band arrived at Praça do Município in Lisbon, observed by a handful of tourists, where the city’s mayor, Carlos Moedas, was already present.
About 30 minutes later, the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, arrived for what will be his last October 5th ceremony in office.
The national anthem was played by the GNR band, followed by the raising of the flag from the main balcony of the City Hall.
The solemn act included the most senior members of the state, including Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the president of the Assembly of the Republic, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, the prime minister, Luís Montenegro, and Carlos Moedas.
The ceremony was exclusive to institutional guests, welcomed inside the Lisbon City Hall.
On September 12, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa had already announced that the celebration would not include speeches, but solely the flag raising, due to the ongoing campaign for the local elections scheduled for October 12.
This is not the first time that the commemoration of the establishment of the Portuguese Republic has taken place without political speeches. In 2019, the ceremony also proceeded without speeches since it coincided with the reflection day for the legislative elections.
October 5th was reinstated as a national holiday in 2016, having been previously removed in 2013 by the former PSD/CDS-PP government. It is one of the four annual dates on which the head of state delivers ceremonial speeches, including April 25, June 10, and New Year’s Day.
In the local elections, set between 8:00 and 20:00 on October 12, voters will elect the leadership of 308 municipal chambers, 308 municipal assemblies, and 3,221 parish assemblies.
An additional 37 parishes will elect the executive in citizen assemblies due to having fewer than 150 voters.
