Two months from now, on January 18, 2026, Portuguese voters will return to the polls to select the next President of the Republic, succeeding Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who has been in office for a decade.
Currently, more than a dozen candidates are in the race for Belém, most of them well-known to the Portuguese public, although there are some surprises.
In recent days, several candidacies have been announced, including those of Jorge Pinto, Catarina Martins, and João Cotrim Figueiredo.
The debates are slated to begin shortly, on November 17, and will run until December 22. Until then, here is an overview of those aiming to become the next President of the Republic:
Luís Marques Mendes
The former PSD president wants “to be the president of all Portuguese” and has declared that his “ambition for Portugal” is his “great cause”.
“I want to be the President of all Portuguese. To unite and not divide,” he stated during the presentation of his Honorary Committee on Tuesday in Lisbon.
Marques Mendes claimed that over 20 years in public office and more than a decade in television commentary have allowed voters to know him “very well”, from his political views to his flaws. Thus, he wants this exposure to translate into “security, predictability, and trust”, emphasizing that his candidacy is a “bet on independence”.
Regarding the PSD’s support for his candidacy, Marques Mendes expressed gratitude but assured he values his independence, “praising when praise is due” and “criticizing when decisions require it”.
He also reminded of his role in the last constitutional revision where he “negotiated the voting rights of Portuguese living abroad” and included in the Constitution the possibility of “reducing the number of deputies in the Assembly of the Republic from 230 to 180”.
Over the weekend, he lamented that emigrants are still treated as “second-class Portuguese” and accused political parties of fearing electronic voting.
The presidential candidate Marques Mendes lamented today that emigrants continue to be treated as “second-class Portuguese” and accused political parties of fearing electronic voting.
Lusa | 19:33 – 01/11/2025
António José Seguro
António José Seguro was among the candidates mentioned for Belém. At 63, he has an extensive history with the PS: he led the Socialist Youth and served as a minister in António Guterres’ government.
Seguro also led the socialists from 2011 to 2014, succeeding José Sócrates and was the Secretary-General of the PS before António Costa. In 2011, he was also elected as a State Councilor.
The former PS Secretary-General presented his candidacy for President of the Republic in June at the Cultural and Congress Center in Caldas da Rainha, stating he stepped aside “when he could divide” and now returns “to unite”.
“It’s for Portugal that we’re here”, he said, later thanking those who imparted “non-negotiable values” like “seriousness” during his life, “without deviation or regret”.
“Freedom, equality, solidarity, respect for others, and seriousness” are his “key guiding principles” to achieve the goal of “making Portugal a fair and excellent country”.
“We believe our country can have justice for all. Amid uncertainties, we believe there can be security. In the face of signs of hate, we believe there can be tolerance. Amid anguish, we believe there can be hope,” he emphasized at the time.
This past weekend, he warned that if elected, he would demand guarantees of transparency and ethical principles in government formation processes to prevent surprises.
The presidential candidate António José Seguro warned today that if elected, he would demand guarantees of transparency and ethical principles in government formation to prevent surprises.
Lusa | 06:16 – 01/11/2025
André Ventura
André Ventura confirmed in September that he is also a candidate in the presidential election. For the leader of Chega, the decision aligns with the party’s desires, as he could not “ignore the members and deny them a voice in these elections”.
However, he also noted he did not initially want to be a candidate in these elections. “The opposition leader’s primary vocation is not to be a candidate for President of the Republic, and I tried to ensure that Chega had a candidate who could take us to the second round”. “I failed in that task,” he admitted.
One of his most controversial statements in several interviews was that “Portugal needs three Salazars”. A statement he reiterated over the weekend:
Chega’s president, André Ventura, stated that “the country needs three Salazars”, contemplating that had he said there needs to be “three Otelos Saraiva de Carvalho or three Álvaros Cunhais”, it would have been “much better” understood.
Daniela Filipe | 00:05 – 02/11/2025
Henrique Gouveia e Melo
The public got to know him when he was the coordinator of the Task Force created for the Covid-19 vaccination, a role that boosted Henrique Gouveia e Melo’s fame and prompted his decision to run for President of the Republic.
The admiral has former PSD leader Rui Rio as the mandate bearer of the candidacy, someone he “already knew” and admires, but “appeared recently”.
A former military man, he has attempted to dispel fears of authoritarian leadership, advocating for adaptation to “the offices and responsibilities we have at each moment” and arguing that in previous roles it was necessary to demand discipline.
Without a past with connections to political parties, he has already rejected any possible support from Chega or any “organized groups”.
Initially accused of being Right-wing, he is now accused of leaning Left. Over the weekend, Gouveia e Melo responded to these “accusations”.
Presidential candidate Henrique Gouveia e Melo considered it “curious” today to be accused of being left-wing when he was previously positioned to the right, criticizing “manicheisms” and “old labels” of those who merely want to “fuel intrigue”.
Lusa | 23:36 – 01/11/2025
João Cotrim de Figueiredo
On X, upon announcing his candidacy for President of the Republic, Cotrim Figueiredo explained that his candidacy comes at a time when he “imagines Portugal seriously”.
“Imagine a Portugal where we can fulfill our vision and achieve our dreams. Imagine a modern country, capable of innovating and advancing. Imagine a country where Freedom is the foundation of culture, knowledge, and growth”.
This past weekend, during the presentation of his candidacy, the MEP and former leader of the Liberal Initiative (IL) expressed confidence that he will indeed make it to a second round and that “the path ends at Belém”.
For João Cotrim de Figueiredo, performing the duties of the head of state “is to assume the highest office of the nation to serve Portugal, serve the Portuguese, with energy and a forward-looking vision”.
As a “free candidate”, the liberal said he is not afraid “to confront the powerful in the economy or the media, even when they threaten retaliation”, to “speak the truth, even when it hurts” or to make “difficult choices”.
“Some shy away from these difficult choices, preferring to sell illusions, easy promises, comfortable lies, deceiving people by shamefully manipulating their most basic emotions. I do not. I prefer to tell the truth and lose than win by lying”, he said.
Presidential candidate João Cotrim Figueiredo expressed confidence today that he will surprise and proceed to a second round, considering himself an independent figure not “bound to partisan logics” or interests.
Lusa | 12:42 – 02/11/2025
António Filipe
António Filipe, backed by the PCP, presented his presidential candidacy in July.
For the former vice-president of the Assembly of the Republic, supported by the PCP, his candidacy “is irreplaceable” and its “importance” cannot be assumed by “any existing [candidacies], much less the non-existing ones”, when asked about a potential candidacy of António Sampaio da Nóvoa.
António Filipe claimed that, in his “more than three decades” as a deputy in the Assembly of the Republic, he demonstrated that “it’s possible to reconcile the staunch defense of one’s political positions and a fair fight against different political views with a sense of balance and openness to consensus that all democrats can recognize”.
“This is the meaning of my, of our candidacy. It is the candidacy of a communist, with the trust and support of his comrades, but it rejects being limited to the borders of a partisan statement”, he stated at the time.
This week, António Filipe, one of the longest-serving deputies in Portugal and a prominent figure in the PCP, alongside Jerónimo de Sousa, is visiting the Autonomous Region of Madeira.
Presidential candidate António Filipe expressed concern today about the State Budget proposal for 2026 (OE2026), but considered that now is “the time for political parties” to debate the document in the Assembly of the Republic.
Lusa | 17:16 – 27/10/2025
Catarina Martins
The current MEP and former leader of the Bloco de Esquerda (BE) is also in the race for Belém. At the time of the announcement, she admitted that “these years have been demanding for all the activists who build the Left. Who don’t let go of the hand of those alongside. Our struggles have been many, with so many people. And in all of them, we find each other again”.
“I write to you at a time when the presidential election process has already begun, is already underway, with the usual men. Those who have governed the country for decades and those who try to capitalize on anguish to do the same or worse,” she said in a message to voters.
“I know who I am and how I got here, and I owe everything to those who shared with me a life of ideas, movements, and action on the Left, which wants to make equality the guarantee of our future. It was with you that I learned and I am proud of our collective spirit. Therefore, it is to you that I want to say first that I will announce today my candidacy for President of the Republic”, she said at the time.
This past weekend, during the presentation of her candidacy in Lisbon, the candidate for Head of State warned that the State is failing in areas such as health, education, or housing, criticizing policies as “contradictory, inefficient” and “driven by greedy appetites”.
Presidential candidate Catarina Martins warned today that the State is failing in areas such as health, education, or housing, criticizing policies as “contradictory, inefficient” and “driven by greedy appetites”.
Lusa | 13:34 – 01/11/2025
Jorge Pinto
Jorge Pinto, a deputy elected by Livre, announced his candidacy for Belém on Saturday and on Sunday defended that he was “faithful to his principles” until the “25th hour” and, as a unifying Left-wing candidacy did not emerge, he stepped into the race.
“I am option A, not option B. I remained very faithful to my principles. For months, I said I wanted a unifying Left-wing candidacy so that the Left could return to power. It was not the plan A, it was the plan the Left and the country needed”, he said in an interview with CNN Portugal.
Jorge Pinto spoke on Sunday about the republican pact he plans to present to other candidates, emphasizing that he has “the very same right” to enter the race for Belém. Considering himself the “plan A”, the Livre deputy criticized his opponents – and even the President.
Ana Teresa Banha | 23:12 – 02/11/2025
Jorge Pinto, 38 years old, is a native of Amarante, Porto. He is trained in Environmental Engineering and also holds a PhD in Social and Political Philosophy, with a thesis on “republicanism, ecology, and post-productivism”.
He was involved in the founding of Livre, is part of the current leadership (Contact Group), and has been a deputy in the Assembly of the Republic since 2024.
Other candidates:
In 2024, the national coordinator of the Union for All Education Professionals (Stop), André Pestana, also announced his candidacy, presenting himself as independent and “in favor of workers”.
Businessman Tim Vieira, Joana Amaral Dias, and Tino de Rans have also joined the race for Belém.
