The night was one of victories, albeit contained. Although the PS has “returned”, he believes it was not enough to be the winner of election night. Also Chega, through the voice of fell “below” expectations with the conquest of three municipalities.
Despite the contained euphoria, he presented the Social Democrats as the political force with the greatest representation in local authorities: “We are, effectively, objectively, the big winners”.
The truth is that the associated PSD held on and won, but lost two historical strongholds – Viseu and Bragança.
On the islands, nothing has changed. The PS maintained its victory in the Azores – even though it lost almost ten thousand votes compared to 2021 – and the PSD/CDS coalition in Madeira was strengthened. But the highlight is the growth of the JPP, which dethroned the PS, leading to . Another curiosity that happened on the islands was the conquest of the first Chamber for Chega.
But if so, who wins and who loses?
Aveiro
In Aveiro, the PSD won, winning 12 of the 19 chambers, three more than in the last local councilsof which six are in coalition.
O The second most voted party was the PS, which won three chambersone less than in 2021, all with an absolute majority, and 27.69% of the votes, and the third is the CDS-PP, also with three municipalities won (two with an absolute majority), and 6.74% of the votes.
There is also a municipality in the district of Aveiro that was in the hands of a group of citizens, also with an absolute majority.
Beja
The PS wins in the Beja district with nine chambers (one less than in 2021). After the PS, which won absolute majorities in eight of the nine municipalities it won, the second most voted party in the district was CDU (PCP/PEV) with three chambers (one less than in 2021) and 27.52% of the votes.
O PSD now presides over one of the municipalities in the Beja district and is leading another in coalition with the CDS-PP and the Liberal Initiative.
Braga
The PSD won four rooms alone in Braga, four in coalition only with the CDS e one in coalition with CDS and PPM.
The Social Democrats have the same number of municipalities as in 2021. Despite having lost Esposende to the independent change movement (led by a PSD dissident) and Vieira do Minho to the PS, they won Cabeceiras de Basto and Guimarães to the PS.
The socialists won three chambers in the Braga district, two fewer than in 2021. In addition to the two municipalities handed over to the PSD/CDS-PP coalition, they lost Vizela to the “Movimento Independente Vizela Semper – Independentes”, led by Victor Hugo Salgado, mayor elected four years ago by the PS.
Bragança
The PSD won the local elections in the district of Bragança, winning seven of the 12 municipal councils, two of which were in coalition with the CDS-PP.
The second most voted party in Bragança is PS, with five chamber presidencies and 41.71% of the votes.
Compared to previous local authorities, the PSD wins another municipality alone and loses one in coalition with the CDS-PPso in total it maintains seven chambers won in Bragança, while the PS maintains five chamber presidencies, but loses an absolute majority.
White Castle
The PS wins in the Castelo Branco district, winning seven of the 11 municipal councils Despite losing one municipality, compared to 2021, the socialists gained more chambers than the PSD, the second most voted party, which maintained three chambers.
A The only change in the municipalities in the Castelo Branco district was in Belmontein which We, Citizens! won the chamber from the PS, with a candidacy led by the former mayor of Penamacor, who had been elected by the PS.
Coimbra
In the district of Coimbra the PSD won, winning nine of the 17 municipal councilsalone or in coalition with the CDS-PP.
The Social Democrats won six chambers in which they were running alone, with 14.86% of the votes, and another three chambers in coalition with the CDS-PP, with 13.54% of the votes.
Four years ago, they had won the elections in eight municipalities, including Coimbra, in coalition with CDS-PP, IL, NC, PPM, VP and MPT. THE PS won the elections in four chamberswith 22.48% of the votes, also winning Coimbra in coalition with Livre and PAN.
Évora
In the Évora district, the PS won, with six chambers, three of which with an absolute majority, as in 2021. Behind the PS, which obtained 32.22% of the votes, slightly below the result of the last local authorities (33.15%), comes the PSD, with five municipalities (one more than in 2021), of which two are in coalition with the CDS-PP and one with the CDS-PP, the MPT and the PPM.
O PSD obtained an absolute majority in the five chambers it won in the Évora district. In third place in this district was the CDU (PCP-PEV), with three chambers and 20.29% of the votes.
Faro
O PS maintained the majority of Chambers in the Faro district, winning in 11 of the 16 Algarve municipalitiesincluding the district capital, on an election night also marked by the victory of Rui Cristina, from Chega, in Albufeira.
The PS won in Alcoutim, Lagos, Monchique, Portimão, Lagoa, Loulé, São Brás de Alportel, Faro, Olhão, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António, the PSD won the municipalities of Castro Marim and Vila do Bispo, the CDU remained in Silves, Chega dethroned the PSD in Albufeira and the Movimento Independente Renascer won in Aljezur, preventing the re-election of the socialist mayor.
Guard
O PSD won in the Guarda district with eight chambers wonone of which is in coalition with the CDS-PP. The second most voted party was the PS, with three chambers, when the 14 municipalities in the district are counted.
In this district, there is also a municipality won by a coalition between Nós, Cidadãos! and the Popular Monarchic Party and two by citizen groups.
Leiria
In the district of Leiria, the PSD won with the winning 10 of the 16 chambers and obtaining 33.08% of the votes. The Social Democrats won in four more municipalities than in 2021, winning Ansião and Nazaré from the PS and Batalha and Peniche from groups of citizens.
Com four chambers, two less than in 2021, the PS was the second most voted partyobtaining 29.84% of the votes. There are also two municipalities in the district led by citizen groups. In Figueiró dos Vinhos won the Figueiró Independente Movement and in Caldas da Rainha the Vamos Mudar movement.
The socialists lost Figueiró dos Vinhos to the Movimento Figueiró Independente, but recovered Marinha Grande, which four years ago had been conquered by the Movimento pelo Concelho.
Lisboa
PS and PSD won the same number of cameras – seven – in the Lisbon district. Among the PSD’s achievements is the Lisbon Chamber, which will continue to be presided over by Carlos Moedas.
The leadership of the two remaining municipal executives in the district belongs to independent movements – Oeiras (which continues to be chaired by Isaltino Morais) and Mafra (where Hugo Moreira Luís, who was president of the PSD, left the party after being passed over as head of the party list).
In 2021, the PS had 10 presidencies, the PSD with four and the CDU (PCP/PEV) with one, while Isaltino Morais’ movement held the leadership in Oeiras.
Portalegre
The PS won in the Portalegre district with seven chambers (one more than in 2021), 33.94% of the votes, and maintained the five absolute majorities of 2021. PSD was the second most voted party, having won a total of six municipalities (four in coalition with the CDS-PP), when the 15 municipalities in the district are determined.
The PSD thus maintained the presidency of six local authorities, as had happened in 2021. In the district of Portalegre there is still a Chamber won by a group of citizens, who obtained 12.86% of the votesand another that was won by the CDU (PCP/PEV), which in 2021 had won two municipalities.
Porto
In the Porto district, the PS won 10 of the 18 chambers. Alone, the socialists won in nine chambers (36.82% of the votes), winning eight absolute majorities, while in 2021 they had 11 leaders and as many absolute majorities. Associated with Livre, he won in a municipality in the district, also with an absolute majority (2.52%), when the 18 municipalities are counted.
O second most voted party is the PSD with eight chambers (in 2021 there were five) and 32.86% of the votes. Alone he managed to get one chamber, but without an absolute majority (1.48%), five linked to the CDS-PP (19.31%) and two linked to the CDS-PP and IL (12.07%).
Santarém
In the district of Santarém, the PS wins, winning 10 of the 21 chambers and obtaining 33.16% of the votes. Compared to 2021, the party won the elections in two fewer municipalities. He took Mação from the PSD, but lost Tomar to the PSD/CDS-PP coalition and Salvaterra de Magos to the “Juntos Fazemos+” movement.
O PS also handed over Entroncamento to Chegathe only municipality in Santarém in which the party won, being the third most voted political force in the district, with 14.53% of the votes. The PSD now holds the presidency of eight municipalities (six in coalition with the CDS-PP), one more than in 2021.
In addition to winning Tomar from the PS, the Social Democrats removed Benavente from the CDU (PCP/PEV), which no longer led municipalities in this district. In Golegã, the mayor elected four years ago by the “2021 is the year” movement was re-elected by the movement now called “2025 for all”.
Setúbal
The ‘Setúbal de Volta’ movement, headed by the former mayor Maria das Dores Meirahad 29.91% of the votes, corresponding to four mandates, the same as the PS, which had 27.48% of the votes.
The third most voted force is Chega, which enters the municipal executive with two elected representatives and 18.07% of the votes.
After more than two decades of leading the municipality of Setúbal, district headquarters, the CDU goes from a relative majority with five elected in the outgoing term to one councilor, receiving 11.43% of the votes.
Viana do Castelo
In the district of Viana do Castelo, the PSD won with five chambers and 34.82% of the votes. The Social Democrats won two municipalities from the PS, and are now in the presidency of five chambers in the district.
The PSD leads alone in three municipalities (20.29% of the votes), all with an absolute majority, has the presidency of a municipality in coalition with the CDS-PP (11.46%) and also won in Caminha, where it ran in coalition with the CDS-PP and the PPM (3.07%), when the 10 municipalities are counted.
O PS is the second most voted party, with 33.34%, four chamber presidencies and four absolute majorities (one less than in 2021). The CDS-PP obtained 10.27% of the votes and maintains the presidency of a local authority.
Vila Real
In the district of Vila Real, the PS maintained the number of chambers it presides over in 2021 and achieved seven absolute majorities (one more than in previous local elections), when the 14 municipalities in the district are determined.
The second most voted party was PSD with seven chambers and 32.77% of the votesand in six municipalities the PSD won alone (26.91% of the votes) and in one of them it ran in coalition with the CDS-PP (5.86%).
The number of chambers presided over by the PSD (alone or in coalition) is the same as in 2021, with the absolute majority being achieved in six municipalities (one less than in 2021).
Viseu
The PS returned to winning the local elections in the district of Viseu, leaving him to govern eleven of the 24 chambers (one more than in 2021). The PSD won eight chambers alone and five more in coalition (four with the CDS-PP and one with IL).
In this municipality governed by the right since there have been local authorities, the social-democratic “dinosaur” Fernando Ruas returned in 2021 to the seat of power (in which he had been between 1989 and 2013) and expected to be elected for another term, which he said would be his last. But he ended up defeated by the PS, with a list headed by João Azevedo.
