In an analysis of the municipal election results, historian and political scientist António Costa Pinto claimed that the Socialist Party (PS) managed to maintain a strong presence in several municipalities, despite losing the leadership of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities to the Social Democratic Party (PSD), which secured more municipal councils.
“I believe the most significant aspect of these municipal elections is that the two main political parties in Portuguese democracy emerged victorious,” said the expert, highlighting the PSD’s lead, which, although it lost some municipalities like Viseu to the PS, reclaimed others such as Porto.
Emphasizing that the PSD achieved a greater number of municipal councils, allowing it to replace the PS in leading the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP), Costa Pinto noted that the results reflect “a majority of center-right and right-wing in Portuguese politics.”
He also pointed out that in some municipalities, such as Porto, which it reclaimed, the PSD “captured the political message from Chega.”
“One should not underestimate the fact that, in some major cities, the PSD adopted a political message closer to security rhetoric and a more conservative stance on immigration,” he said, noting this was “particularly clear in Lisbon and Porto.”
He further noted that the PS, through a rotation of power at the municipal level, conquering some significant councils from the PSD, “survives well” and underlined the CDS’s results, which “essentially also survives” in areas where it is not allied with the PSD.
Regarding the CDU, which lost nearly half of its councils – “some important ones” – this illustrates a “slow electoral erosion.”
“In some cases, it is easily explainable why they were lost, such as Setúbal, which fell into the hands of its dissident” [Maria das Dores Meira], he added.
As for Chega, which only won three municipalities, Costa Pinto mentioned André Ventura’s party’s expectations “fell far short,” stressing that with the number of mandates achieved and being the third party in some councils even without electing representatives, it establishes itself as a national party.
“It seems there is no doubt that, especially outside large municipalities, the personalization [of candidates] is important,” the political scientist said.
In Sunday’s municipal elections, the PSD won the most councils, reclaiming the ANMP from the PS, which it held since 2013, and prevailed in the five most populous municipalities in the country.
Nationally, the PSD, either running its own lists or in coalitions, won in 136 municipalities, compared to the PS’s 128, a reversal from 2021 when it won in 114 and the socialists triumphed in 149.
Even losing the presidency of the ANMP, the PS continues to have significant municipal influence, holding councils in every district across the national territory and in the autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores.
The socialists caused some surprises by winning in Viseu and Bragança, two district capitals traditionally dominated by the PSD, and also taking Faro and Coimbra from the social democrats. Among other southern municipalities, they took Évora from the CDU.
Chega only secured victories in São Vicente (Madeira), Albufeira (Algarve), and Entroncamento (Santarém district), accruing just over 600,000 votes compared to the 1.4 million votes in the May legislative elections.
The CDU continued to decline in national municipal weight, dropping from 19 councils in 2021 to 12. It lost the district capitals of Évora and Setúbal. Of the 19 councils won in 2021, the CDU retained only eight (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), and Santana (Madeira), and Velas (Azores).
