With approximately 1.913 million registered voters, the Lisbon electoral district elects more than one-fifth of the deputies to the Assembly of the Republic, specifically 48 out of 230, and is a district where a significant number of political forces have historically secured mandates.
In the 18 legislative elections held since April 25, including the 1975 elections for the Constituent Assembly, the Socialist Party (PS) emerged as the most voted party in Lisbon 11 times, while the Social Democratic Party (PSD), either alone or in coalition with CDS-PP and/or PPM, won in this district on seven occasions.
Until 2005, the third position in this district belonged to the communists—the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) alone or through the APU and CDU coalitions. The Democratic Renewal Party (PRD) was the third most voted in 1985, while CDS-PP held that position in 2009 and 2011. In the 2015 and 2019 elections, the Left Bloc (BE) took the third place, and more recently, in 2022 and 2024, Chega achieved this position.
In the capital’s electoral district, the most voted party has almost always coincided with the national winner, with two notable exceptions so far.
The first exception occurred in 2002 when the PSD, then led by Durão Barroso, won the legislative elections, but in Lisbon, the PS, with Ferro Rodrigues as secretary-general, secured more votes, obtaining two more mandates.
This scenario repeated last year. Under the leadership of Luís Montenegro, the Democratic Alliance (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) narrowly won nationwide; however, in the Lisbon district, PS, led by Pedro Nuno Santos, secured more votes, enough to gain an additional deputy.
The PS achieved its best result in Lisbon in 1975, during the Constituent Assembly elections, garnering over 583,000 votes, equating to 45.98% of the total. Other significant victories for PS occurred in 1995 and 2005 when it again surpassed the 500,000 votes mark.
The PSD set its voting record in Lisbon in 1987 with over 564,000 votes, amounting to 45.82% of the total. The party also achieved results exceeding half a million votes in this district during the 1979 and 1980 elections, in coalition with AD, and in 1991.
From 1975 to 1983, the largest proportion of votes in the Lisbon district went to left-wing parties, even in 1979 and 1980, when Sá Carneiro’s AD achieved absolute majorities in parliament.
In 1985, the PRD disrupted the political landscape, becoming the third parliamentary force, leading to a scenario where traditional left or right-wing parties could not form a majority without it, even in Lisbon.
In 1987 and 1991, during PSD’s absolute majorities under Cavaco Silva, the right-wing parties garnered more votes than the left in Lisbon, nearly reaching 50%.
From 1995 to 2009, during periods of PS governance, left-wing parties regained majority support in this district.
In 2011, the PSD, led by Pedro Passos Coelho, won both nationally and in Lisbon, where right-wing parties received more votes than left-wing candidates.
In 2015, although the coalition PAF (PSD/CDS-PP) was the most voted, left-wing parties achieved a majority in this district and nationally, enabling the PS, led by António Costa, to govern.
The left remained dominant in the capital’s district during the “Geringonça” period in 2019, and subsequently, when the PS secured an absolute majority in parliament in 2022, though with reduced influence due to the rise of new parties like Chega and IL.
In 2024, PS was the most voted party in Lisbon, yet right-wing political forces collectively attracted the majority of votes.
There are 18 candidacies in this district for the anticipated legislative elections on May 18, with the AD featuring the current Finance Minister, Miranda Sarmento, as its lead candidate, PS fielding former Minister Mariana Vieira da Silva, and Chega represented by the party’s president, André Ventura.
IL has put forward its parliamentary leader, Mariana Leitão, BE its coordinator, Mariana Mortágua, CDU its secretary-general, Paulo Raimundo, while Livre and PAN have their spokespersons, Rui Tavares and Inês de Sousa Real, topping the list.
