The study “What the Portuguese think 2025 – Decentralization, Deconcentration, and Regionalization” reveals that 71% of respondents believe regionalization “should be discussed again,” nearly 28 years after a referendum rejected the regions, while 19% say the issue should not be revisited (10% were unsure).
Although this sentiment is widespread across the country, respondents in the North are slightly more in favor of reigniting the discussion (74%).
Furthermore, 75% of responses suggest the debate should culminate in a new referendum for the Portuguese, while 9% believe it should be decided by the Assembly of the Republic and 7% by the government (8% were unsure or did not respond).
Among those advocating for a renewed discussion on regionalization, 84% support holding a new referendum.
Even among those who think the issue should not be reopened, 71% still prefer a referendum to be held.
The study notes that the desire for a referendum is shared “similarly across the ideological spectrum, from left to right, with about 75% of respondents in each ideological group in favor.”
The opinion survey conducted by the Institute for Public and Social Policies at ISCTE University Institute of Lisbon (IPPS/ISCTE) finds that 57% of respondents support “the direct election by the inhabitants of each region” for presidents of the Regional Coordination and Development Commissions (CCDR).
Conversely, 16% believe CCDR presidents should be chosen through “public competition,” 13% support the current model of election “by all local councilors of each region,” and only 3% think the government should select these leaders.
The study will be presented today at the Public Policies Forum 2025 at ISCTE, featuring participation from CCDR presidents, local councilors, and academics.
“The Portuguese have a very positive assessment of local government and believe their municipality has improved over the past decade, while they rate the country’s development less favorably during the same period. It is perhaps this municipal inclination that helps explain the agreement to reopen the discussion on regionalization,” stated Pedro Adão e Silva, one of the study authors alongside Isabel Flores, who will present the results today.
As another round of local elections takes place this year, the ISCTE Public Policies Forum focuses on “New Competencies of Local Power.”
Apart from the study, the forum will discuss the “housing crisis,” “socio-territorial inequalities,” and “coordination of smart specialization strategies.”
The ISCTE Public Policies 2025 Award will be granted to the “Municipal Environmental Sustainability Policy” of Loures municipality, with honorable mentions to the Porto Metropolitan Area for its “Youth Metropolitan Public Policy” and to the Oeiras City Council for “social intervention with children and young people through music.”
The report is based on individual surveys conducted by GfK Metris between February 13 and April 14, among citizens aged 18 or older residing on the mainland.
Out of 14,297 eligible phone contacts, 3,059 valid telephone interviews were obtained, ensuring representativeness at the NUTS II level (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) and applying quotas for gender, age, region, and education in accordance with the 2021 census.
The confidence level is 95%, with a margin of error of 2% for Mainland Portugal; 3% for the North region; 4% for the Center and Lisbon and Tagus Valley regions, and 5% for the Alentejo and Algarve.
