The recount process, overseen by a judicial magistrate, is crucial in determining a councilor position in the Lisbon City Council (CML) for either Chega or CDU (PCP/PEV), with Chega currently holding a one-vote lead.
The recount also impacts the inauguration of Lisbon’s municipal bodies. Carlos Moedas (PSD) was re-elected as Mayor and can only take office after the final results are released.
This follows a Constitutional Court (TC) ruling on an appeal by CDU, which ordered a recount of votes from polling station no. 28 in São Domingos de Benfica parish, related to the municipal election.
The decision by judges in Palácio Ratton also validated a null vote for CDU in a Santa Maria Maior section and declared a previously allowed vote for Chega null.
In response, Chega filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court on Monday, disagreeing with the decision, especially the validation of the CDU vote, arguing it was “complementarily wrong and shows a certain bias.”
This appeal by Chega was dismissed by the TC on Thursday as “legally inadmissible.”
Initially, Chega led CDU by 11 votes according to provisional results from election day on October 12.
Local results later indicated this lead had narrowed to three votes.
The Constitutional Court ruling reduced Chega’s lead over CDU to just one vote.
The vote difference between Chega and CDU is significant for electing councilors in Lisbon, as the party ahead wins two seats while the other secures only one.
If Chega is confirmed as the third most-voted list, following PSD/CDS-PP/IL and PS/Livre/BE/PAN, CDU would lose a communist councilor in the capital compared to the two elected in 2021.
In the municipal elections of October 12, social-democrat Carlos Moedas was re-elected Mayor of Lisbon, representing the coalition PSD/CDS-PP/IL, with 41.69% of the vote, defeating socialist Alexandra Leitão (PS/Livre/BE/PAN) who received 33.95%.
Of the 17 mandates in the Lisbon city executive, the “Por ti, Lisboa” coalition (PSD/CDS-PP/IL) won eight seats, and the “Viver Lisboa” list (PS/Livre/BE/PAN) secured six, according to electoral results, leaving the councilor positions for Chega and CDU to be finalized regarding who gains two seats instead of one.
During the 2021-2025 term, the municipal executive consisted of seven members from the “Novos Tempos” coalition (PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM/Aliança), seven from the “Mais Lisboa” coalition (PS/Livre), two from CDU, and one from BE. Chega did not elect any councilors in 2021.
