The population of Portugal will elect a new president this Sunday (18), in a dispute that, according to opinion polls, remains quite balanced between at least three candidates.
If no candidate obtains more than 50% of the votes, a second round is scheduled for February 8th. If this happens, it will be the first time that a second round has taken place in the country in four decades, which reflects the fragmentation of the political landscape.
Although the Portuguese presidency is a largely “ceremonial” position, it holds significant political weight in times of crisis, as the head of state can dissolve Parliament, dismiss the government, call early elections and veto legislation.
How does the electoral system work?
The current president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has been in office since 2016 and is constitutionally prevented from running for a third consecutive five-year term.
He called early elections three times, in 2021, 2023 and 2025.
A candidate must obtain more than 50% of the valid votes to win. Voters vote for a single candidate and, if none of them obtains 50%, the two with the most votes go to the second round.
Anyone over the age of 35 can apply, as long as they obtain at least 7,500 supporting signatures and that the candidacy and signatures are approved by the Constitutional Court.
How much does voting take place?
The polls will be open between 8 am and until 7 pm, Portuguese time (4 am to 3 pm Brasília time).
After closing time, only voters who are already at the so-called polling stations will be able to vote.
Who are the main candidates and their proposals?
Andre Ventura
André Ventura, 42, is the leader and founder of the ultra-right party “Chega” and a former TV sports commentator, which led him to become the second largest parliamentary force in 2025, with a platform to combat corruption and immigration.
Analysts often describe the “Chega” party as Ventura’s “one-man show”, a view corroborated by the fact that he is running for president after stating on several occasions that he wants to be prime minister.
João Cotrim de Figueiredo
João Cotrim de Figueiredo, 64, is a member of the European Parliament for the pro-market Liberal Initiative party, which he himself led, defending tax reductions and greater flexibility for companies to hire and fire employees.
On Monday (12), his campaign suffered a setback when a former advisor accused him of sexual assault in an online post that has since been deleted.
Cotrim de Figueiredo promptly denied the accusations, classifying them as an attempt to undermine his candidacy.
Antonio José Seguro
Antonio José Seguro, 63, is a former leader of the Socialist Party who abandoned active political life after losing the leadership in 2014 to future Prime Minister Antonio Costa.
Seguro, who announced his candidacy for president last June, presents himself as the candidate of a “modern and moderate” left to combat an increasingly influential populist far right.
Henry Gouveia
Retired Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, aged 65, is a former head of the Portuguese Navy who rose to prominence in 2021, when he was in charge of the country’s anti-virus vaccination campaign, praised as one of the fastest and most efficient in the world.
The only candidate without prior political experience, he claims he can be a unifying figure amid growing political fragmentation and “guide the country with security and confidence.”
Luís Márquez Mendes
Luís Márquez Mendes, 68, is supported by the main ruling party, the center-right PSD (Social Democratic Party), which he briefly led between 2005 and 2007 before becoming a television political commentator.
He states that Portugal needs “ambition” and promises to challenge what he calls the “conformist, resigned, depressed and complacent” status quo.
