2026 Portuguese presidential election
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The 2026 Portuguese presidential election will be held in January. This election will elect the successor of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, as he is barred from running for a third term.
Background and election procedure[]
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was re-elected in January 2021 with almost 61% of the votes on the first round. He took the oath of office on March 9, 2021, and continued the cohabitation with Socialist Prime Minister António Costa.
In Portugal, the president is the head of state and has mostly ceremonial powers. However, the president has some political influence and can dissolve the Parliament of Portugal if a crisis occurs. The president also has an official residence in the Belém Palace in Lisbon.
To stand for election, candidates for the presidency each have to gather 7,500 signatures of support one month before the election, and submit them to the Constitutional Court of Portugal. Then, the Constitutional Court has to certify if the candidacies submitted meet the requirements to appear on the ballot. The highest number of candidacies ever accepted was ten, in 2016.
Under Portuguese law, a candidate must receive a majority of votes (50% plus one vote) to be elected. If no candidate achieves a majority in the first round, a runoff election (i.e., second round, held between the two candidates who receive the most votes in the first round) has to be held.
Potential candidates[]
- António Costa – secretary-general of the Socialist Party (PS) since 2014; incumbent prime minister since 2015[1]
- Paulo Portas – former leader of CDS-People's Party (CDS-PP) (1998–2005, 2007–2016); deputy prime minister (2013–2015) and minister in the 15th, 16th, 19th and 20th governments[2][3]
- José Sócrates – former prime minister (2005–2011); former secretary-general of the Socialist Party (PS) (2004–2011)[4]
- Luís Marques Mendes – former Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader (2005–2007)[2]
- Pedro Passos Coelho – former prime minister (2011–2015); Former Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader (2010–2018)[2]
- Pedro Santana Lopes – incumbent mayor of Figueira da Foz since 2021 (also in 1998–2002); former prime minister (2004–2005); Former Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader (2004–2005)[5]
- Rui Moreira – incumbent mayor of Porto since 2013[2]
- António Guterres – secretary-general of the United Nations since 2017; former prime minister (1995–2002); former secretary-general of the Socialist Party (PS) (1992–2002)[2]
- Henrique Gouveia e Melo – chief of the Naval Staff since 2021; former coordinator of the COVID-19 Vaccination Plan Task Force (2021); former commander of the European Maritime Force (2017–2019); Portuguese Navy officer[6][7]
- Augusto Santos Silva – minister in the 14th, 17th, 18th, 21st, 22nd governments[8]
Opinion polling[]
Approval ratings[]
The table below lists the evolution of public opinion on the President's performance in office.
Polling firm |
Fieldwork date |
Sample size |
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Approve | Disapprove | No opinion | Net | |||
Intercampus | 13–20 Aug 2021 | 612 | 62.3 | 12.8 | 24.9 | 49.5 |
Eurosondagem | 26–29 Jul 2021 | 1,025 | 81.1 | 8.0 | 10.9 | 73.1 |
Aximage | 10–12 Jul 2021 | 763 | 55 | 18 | 27 | 37 |
Eurosondagem | 5–8 Jul 2021 | 1,022 | 80.8 | 9.7 | 9.5 | 71.1 |
Aximage | 26–30 May 2021 | 796 | 70 | 10 | 20 | 60 |
Eurosondagem | 10–13 May 2021 | 1,008 | 80.0 | 9.4 | 10.6 | 70.6 |
Intercampus | 5–11 May 2021 | 610 | 69.0 | 11.1 | 19.9 | 57.9 |
Aximage | 22–25 Apr 2021 | 830 | 71 | 10 | 19 | 61 |
Intercampus | 7–13 Apr 2021 | 609 | 67.0 | 14.7 | 18.3 | 52.3 |
ICS/ISCTE | 5–13 Apr 2021 | 802 | 79.9 | 7.3 | 12.8 | 72.6 |
Eurosondagem | 5–8 Apr 2021 | 1,020 | 75.1 | 4.8 | 20.1 | 70.3 |
Aximage | 24–27 Mar 2021 | 830 | 72 | 17 | 11 | 55 |
Intercampus | 4–10 Mar 2021 | 615 | 69.3 | 10.2 | 20.5 | 59.1 |
See also[]
References[]
- ^ “Costa prepara Legislativas a pensar nas Presidenciais de 2026? Há quem aposte nisso”, Observador (June 11, 2018).
- ^ a b c d e “Exclusivo Palácio de Belém, 2026. Os possíveis inquilinos que se seguem”, Diário de Notícias (October 25, 2020).
- ^ ZAP (2020-10-11). "Portas não quer Câmara de Lisboa. Já está de olho nas presidenciais de 2026". ZAP Notícias (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-01-11.
- ^ "Sócrates diz que "mentiras caíram", promete defender-se e avisa ter "muito a dizer", Jornal de Negócios (April 9, 2021).
- ^ ""Não me excluo de nada". Santana Lopes antevê presidenciais de 2026". ZAP Notícias (in European Portuguese). 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ "Candidatura à Presidência da República? Gouveia e Melo diz que daria um péssimo político". SIC Notícias (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-12-08.
- ^ Portugal, Rádio e Televisão de. "Vice-Almirante Gouveia e Melo não exclui candidatura a Belém". Vice-Almirante Gouveia e Melo não exclui candidatura a Belém (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-12-16.
- ^ ECO (2022-02-14). "Santos Silva quer ser presidente da Assembleia da República". ECO (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-02-14.
External links[]
- Presidential elections in Portugal
- Future elections in Portugal