In an analysis of the municipal election results, historian and political scientist António Costa Pinto stated that the Socialist Party (PS) maintained a strong presence in several municipalities, despite being replaced by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) in the National Association of Municipalities, as the PSD captured control of more municipalities.
“I believe the most significant aspect of these municipal elections is that the two major parties in Portuguese democracy are the clear winners of these elections,” said Costa Pinto. He noted the PSD’s lead, which, despite losing some municipalities to the PS, like Viseu, regained others such as Porto.
Emphasizing the PSD’s success in securing a greater number of municipal councils, which allows it to replace the PS at the helm of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP), António Costa Pinto remarked that the elections reflect “a center-right and right-wing majority in Portuguese politics.”
He also highlighted that in some municipalities, such as Porto—which the PSD regained—the party “appropriated the political message from Chega.”
“I would not underestimate the fact that, in some major cities, the PSD adopted a political message closer to the security-focused and more conservative discourse on immigration,” he asserted, noting that this situation was “very clear in Lisbon and Porto.”
He further commented that the PS, by gaining some important councils from the PSD at the local level, “survives well” and highlighted the outcome for the CDS, which “essentially also survives” where it isn’t in coalition with the PSD.
As for the CDU, losing nearly half of its previously held municipal councils—some of them important ones—demonstrates a “slow electoral erosion.”
“In some cases, it’s easy to explain why they lost, such as in Setúbal, which went to its former dissident,” referring to Maria das Dores Meira, he added.
Regarding Chega, which secured only three municipalities, Costa Pinto stated that the expectations of André Ventura’s party “fell significantly short,” emphasizing that with the number of mandates achieved and its emergence as the third party in some councils even without securing elections, it is consolidating as a national party.
“There seems to be no doubt that, especially outside major municipalities, the personalization [of candidates] is important,” said the political scientist.
In Sunday’s municipal elections, the PSD won the most municipal councils, reclaiming the ANMP, which had belonged to the PS since 2013, and succeeded in the five most populous municipalities in the country.
Nationally, the PSD, whether through its own lists or in coalitions, achieved victory in 136 municipalities, compared to 128 for the PS, with the PSD having previously won 114 against the Socialists’ 149 in 2021.
Even after losing the ANMP presidency, the PS still holds significant sway at the local level, maintaining control in territories across all districts of mainland Portugal and the autonomous regions of Madeira and Azores.
The Socialists surprised by winning in Viseu and Bragança, two district capitals traditionally dominated by the PSD, and also by taking Faro and Coimbra from the social democrats. They further succeeded in taking the municipality of Évora from the CDU in the south of the country.
Chega only claimed victories in São Vicente (Madeira), Albufeira (Algarve), and Entroncamento (district of Santarém), tallying just over 600,000 votes—compared to 1.4 million in the legislative elections in May.
The CDU saw a setback in its national municipal influence, dropping from 19 municipalities in 2021 to 12. It lost the district capitals of Évora and Setúbal. From the 19 councils CDU had in 2021, it retained only eight, including Barrancos, Cuba, Arraiolos, Silves, Avis, Palmela, Seixal, and Sesimbra.
The CDS maintained its six municipal councils: Albergaria-a-Velha, Oliveira do Bairro, and Vale de Cambra (Aveiro), Ponte de Lima (Viana do Castelo), Santana (Madeira), and Velas (Azores).
