2026 Portuguese presidential election
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.
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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 9 March 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.
Candidates
Potential
- Ana Gomes – former MEP of the Socialist Party (PS) (2014–2019); finished in second place in the previous presidential election[1]
- André Ventura – incumbent leader of CHEGA (since 2019); presidential candidate in the previous election[2]
- António Costa – secretary-general of the Socialist Party (PS) since 2014; incumbent prime minister since 2015[3][4]
- 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)[5]
- António José Seguro – former secretary-general of the Socialist Party (PS) (2011–2014)[6]
- Augusto Santos Silva – President of the Assembly of the Republic (since 2022); minister in the 14th, 17th, 18th, 21st, 22nd governments[7][4]
- Fernando Medina – incumbent Minister of Finance (since 2022); former mayor of Lisbon (2015–2021)[4]
- Francisco Assis – former MEP of the Socialist Party (PS) (2004–2009; 2014–2019); former mayor of Amarante (1990–1995)[4]
- Francisco Louçã – former leader of the Left Bloc (BE) (1999–2012); candidate for the 2006 presidential election[1]
- 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[8][9]
- João Cotrim de Figueiredo – former leader of the Liberal Initiative (IL) (2019–2023)[10]
- João Ferreira – former MEP of the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) (2009–2021); presidential candidate in the previous election[2]
- José Castelo Branco – socialite[11]
- José Durão Barroso – former President of the European Commission (2004–2014); former prime minister (2002–2004); former Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader (1998–2004)[1][12]
- José Sócrates – former prime minister (2005–2011); former secretary-general of the Socialist Party (PS) (2004–2011)[13]
- Luís Marques Mendes – former Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader (2005–2007)[5]
- Mariana Mortágua – deputy from the Left Bloc (BE) since 2013[2]
- Mário Centeno – incumbent governor of the Bank of Portugal (since 2020); former President of the Eurogroup (2018–2020); former Minister of Finance (2015–2020)[4]
- 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[5][14]
- Pedro Passos Coelho – former prime minister (2011–2015); former Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader (2010–2018)[5]
- 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)[15]
- Rui Moreira – incumbent mayor of Porto since 2013[5]
- Rui Rio – former Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader (2018–2022)[1]
- Tiago Mayan – incumbent President of the Parish of Aldoar, Foz do Douro e Nevogilde since 2021; presidential candidate in the previous election[1]
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Socialite
José Castelo Branco
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Opinion polling
Graphic summary
Polling
| Polling firm | Fieldwork date | Sample size |
O/ Und. |
Lead | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ind. | PS | PSD | CDS | PSD | BE | PS | CH | CDU | PS | IL | PSD | PS | Ind. | PS | |||||
| Intercampus | 3–10 Feb 2023 | 602 | 10.0 | 10.6 | 15.8 | — | 3.8 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 9.5 | — | 6.0 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 13.5 | 4.7 | 0.5 | 9.7 | 2.3 |
| Intercampus[lower-alpha 1] | 15–20 Nov 2022 | 605 | 15.9 | 9.6 | 15.2 | 6.3 | 7.3 | 4.0 | 5.8 | 6.1 | 3.3 | 8.6 | 2.1 | — | — | — | — | 15.8 | 0.7 |
| Intercampus | 6–11 Jul 2022 | 605 | 31.7 | — | — | 10.9 | 10.4 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 6.1 | 3.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22.3 | 20.8 |
| — | — | — | 18.3 | 17.4 | 12.7 | 12.2 | — | 4.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34.9 | 0.9 | |||
| — | 31.1 | — | 13.6 | 16.2 | 7.8 | — | — | 4.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 27.4 | 14.9 | |||
| — | — | 23.1 | — | 16.5 | 12.9 | 12.4 | — | 4.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 30.6 | 6.6 |
Polling
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 | |||
| Aximage | 10–14 Apr 2023 | 805 | 44 | 37 | 19 | 7 |
| Intercampus | 6–12 Apr 2023 | 610 | 43.6 | 25.5 | 30.9 | 18.1 |
| Intercampus | 9–15 Mar 2023 | 613 | 45.6 | 26.8 | 27.6 | 18.8 |
| Intercampus | 3–10 Feb 2023 | 602 | 41.2 | 28.4 | 30.4 | 12.8 |
| Aximage | 10–14 Jan 2023 | 805 | 45 | 35 | 20 | 10 |
| Intercampus | 6–11 Jan 2023 | 605 | 46.8 | 26.3 | 27.0 | 20.5 |
| Pitagórica | 9–15 Dec 2022 | 828 | 63 | 32 | 5 | 31 |
| ICS/ISCTE | 3–15 Dec 2022 | 809 | 71 | 27 | 2 | 44 |
| Intercampus | 17–22 Oct 2022 | 607 | 45.0 | 26.3 | 28.7 | 18.7 |
| Aximage | 21–24 Sep 2022 | 810 | 49 | 25 | 26 | 24 |
| Intercampus | 9–15 Sep 2022 | 606 | 52.0 | 18.1 | 29.9 | 33.9 |
| Intercampus | 3–10 Aug 2022 | 605 | 56.5 | 16.9 | 26.6 | 39.6 |
| Pitagórica | 28 Jul–10 Aug 2022 | 828 | 64 | 31 | 5 | 33 |
| Intercampus | 6–11 Jul 2022 | 605 | 57.2 | 19.5 | 23.3 | 37.7 |
| Aximage | 5–10 Jul 2022 | 810 | 56 | 22 | 22 | 34 |
| Pitagórica | 21 Jun–4 Jul 2022 | 828 | 70 | 27 | 3 | 43 |
| Intercampus | 8–14 Jun 2022 | 611 | 60.9 | 13.8 | 25.3 | 47.1 |
| Intercampus | 7–15 May 2022 | 611 | 61.2 | 14.6 | 24.2 | 46.6 |
| Aximage | 12–18 Apr 2022 | 807 | 61 | 15 | 24 | 46 |
| 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 |
Notes
- Voters were asked which candidate they prefer.
References
- "Sondagem TVI/CNN: Gouveia e Melo, Costa e Passos Coelho são os candidatos presidenciais com maior potencial. Sócrates e Jerónimo no fim da tabela". CNN Portugal (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-07-18.
- "Almirante Gouveia e Melo bate políticos na corrida à Presidência". www.cmjornal.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-07-15.
- “Costa prepara Legislativas a pensar nas Presidenciais de 2026? Há quem aposte nisso”, Observador (June 11, 2018).
- "O que Medina nos anda a esconder". Jornal Expresso (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-04-21.
- “Exclusivo Palácio de Belém, 2026. Os possíveis inquilinos que se seguem”, Diário de Notícias (October 25, 2020).
- Lopes, Ana Sá. "António José Seguro já não exclui regressar à política". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-05-10.
- Duarte, José Carlos. ""Nunca digas nunca" e "futuro a Deus pertence." Santos Silva não descarta candidatar-se à Presidência da República". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-03-31.
- "Candidatura à Presidência da República? Gouveia e Melo diz que daria um péssimo político". SIC Notícias (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2021-12-08. 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.
- "Almirante Gouveia e Melo à frente de Pedro Passos Coelho na corrida à presidência da República". www.cmjornal.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-11-26.
- "José Castelo Branco: "Se calhar tenho que me candidatar à Presidência da República"". Holofote (in European Portuguese). 2022-01-16. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
- "Marcelo deita o país no divã e lança mais um candidato a Belém". www.dn.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-12-22.
- "Sócrates diz que "mentiras caíram", promete defender-se e avisa ter "muito a dizer", Jornal de Negócios (April 9, 2021).
- 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.
- ""Não me excluo de nada". Santana Lopes antevê presidenciais de 2026". ZAP Notícias (in European Portuguese). 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
External links
- Official results site, Portuguese Justice Ministry
- Portuguese Electoral Commission
- ERC – Official publication of polls
| Indirect elections | |
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| Direct elections | |
| Presidential elections | |
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| Parliamentary elections |
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| Constituent Assembly elections | |
| Local elections | |
| European elections | |
| Referendums | |
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