2025 Portuguese local elections

Local elections were held in Portugal on 12 October 2025. The election consisted of three separate elections in the 308 Portuguese municipalities, the election for the Municipal Chambers, another election for the Municipal Assembly, as well an election for the lower-level Parish Assembly, whose winner is elected parish president. This last was held separately in the more than 3,000 parishes around the country. In this election, 89 incumbent mayors (28.9 percent) had reached their term limit so were barred from seeking re-election. Of those 89, 49 were from the PS, 21 from the PSD, 12 from CDU, 4 Independents and 3 from the CDS–PP. The number of parishes up for election grew from the current 3,092 to 3,259 because of changes in the 2013 local reform law that allowed the separation of merged parishes, of which 167 separations were approved. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) was the big winner of the elections by surpassing the Socialists in number of councils won, and for also winning several major urban centers like Lisbon, Porto, Sintra and Vila Nova de Gaia. The party's led coalitions also achieved historic wins in Beja and Guimarães, however, it lost Coimbra and two of their old "strongholds", Viseu and Bragança, to the PS. The Socialist Party (PS) lost the status as the largest party in local government, but defied expectations and predictions of an "electoral erosion", following their weak 3rd-place finish in the May 2025 legislative election, by winning several district capitals from the PSD and holding strong in many areas of the country, especially in the Alentejo and Algarve regions. Despite winning nearly 12% of the votes, Chega's (CH) results were well below expectations, if compared with their 2nd-place position in the May legislative election. The party won just 3 councils, Albufeira, Entroncamento and São Vicente, but was able to elect more than 130 councillors across the country, becoming "kingmaker" in several councils. The Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) lost further ground in these elections, from 19 to 12 councils, lost the two district capitals which presided, Setúbal and Évora, and fell below 100 councillors for the first time. Independent movements continued their growth in local government, although modestly, winning 20 councils, up one compared with 2021, with wins in cities like Oeiras, Setúbal and Mafra. CDS – People's Party (CDS–PP) held on to its 6 councils, while We, the Citizens! (NC), in coalition with other parties also, won two cities including Guarda. Together for the People (JPP) held on to Santa Cruz, and a LIVRE/PS coalition won again in Felgueiras. Turnout in these elections increased to the highest rate in 20 years, with 59.3 percent of voters casting a ballot.