29 September 2013 2017 → 139 mayors, 38.7% 28 mayors, 9.8% 1,570,601 552,690 Start date September 29, 2013 | 132 mayors, 37.7% 139 mayors, 38.7% 1,835,288 1,570,601 36.7% 31.4% | |
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The Portuguese local elections of 2013 took place on 29 September. The elections consisted of three separate elections in the 308 Portuguese municipalities, the election for the Municipal Chambers, whose winner is elected mayor, another election for the Municipal Assembly, as well an election for the lower-level Parish Assembly, whose winner is elected parish president. This last will be held separately in the more than 3,000 parishes around the country. There was a reduction in the number of Parishes of more than 1000 parishes and, consequently, Parishes Assemblies and their respective leadership positions due to a local government reform undertaken by the Government led by Pedro Passos Coelho.
Contents
The process of submitting candidacies for these elections was marked by interpretation differences of the limitation of mandates law, which prohibits a candidate, after serving three terms, to run for Mayor, Municipal Assemblies or Parish Assemblies. The controversy lied in the fact that the law does not state explicitly whether it prohibits reelection candidacies for the same municipality or parish, or if, on the contrary, the candidate is barred from seeking reelection for the same position in any municipality or parish. Candidates affected by this issue included Luis Filipe Menezes (PSD), running in Porto, and Fernando Seara (PSD/CDS–PP), who was standing in Lisbon.
This controversy ended on 5 September 2013 with the decision of the Constitutional Court considering only territorial the limitation of mandates and, there so, giving permission to mayoral candidates that had already serve three consecutive mandates to run for another municipality.
The Social Democratic Party (PSD) was the biggest loser of these elections, as it lost almost a third of the municipalities that it held, although the PSD did gain several traditionally Socialist bastions like Braga and Guarda.
The Socialist Party (PS) won the largest number of municipal chambers in its history surpassing its previous best result in 2009. It also won the largest number of mayorships of any party in the history of Portugal. Despite the Socialists victory however, the PS lost to the PSD the cities of Braga and Guarda and to the CDU in the cities of Loures, Beja and Évora. The PS also reconquered Coimbra and won in two large social democratic strongholds, Vila Real and Funchal.
The election was also marked by the strong electoral performances of various independent groups, which won several chambers. The most significant was the victory of independent Rui Moreira in Porto, who was supported by CDS-PP. The Democratic Unity Coalition increased its number of municipal chambers as well as its number of councilors by winning several chambers previously held by the Socialists, including winning back their historical stronghold of Loures. However, despite increasing their overall number of mayors, they also lost three chambers they won in 2009 to the Socialists; Chamusca, Crato, and Nisa. In Chamusca they had held the mayorship since 1979.
The People's Party (CDS-PP) broke a cycle of decline in local elections and won 5 municipalities, 4 more than in 2009. The Left Bloc suffered a heavy defeat, losing the only chamber they had, and electing fewer councillors than in 2009.
The turnout in these elections was the lowest ever, with 52.6% of voters casting their ballot.
Parties
The main political forces that will be involved in the election are:
1 The PSD and the CDS–PP will also form coalitions in several municipalities with the Earth Party (MPT) and the People's Monarchist Party (PPM).
Opinion polling
A Survey where voters were first asked on which party or coalition they would vote and secondly, which candidate would they cast their ballot.
Results by District
Aveiro
Beja
In Beja, despite gaining votes overall, the PS lost two mayorships to the CDU; Cuba, and the district's capital, Beja.
Braga
In Braga, the PS gained the mayorship in Amares (from an Independent) and Barcelos (from a PSD/CDS-PP/PPM joint list), but lost two other mayorships, in Vieira do Minho and the capital city of Braga (to a PSD/CDS-PP joint list in Viera do Minho and a PSD/CDS-PP/PPM joint list in Braga.)
Bragança
Bragança was one of the few districts where the PS had a net loss in mayorships, losing the mayorships in Freixo de Espada à Cinta and Torre de Moncorvo, but also gaining the mayorship in Mogadouro.
Castelo Branco
Coimbra
Évora
The CDU won one of its most important victories in Évora, recapturing the district's capital city, and historic CDU stronghold, of Évora. The CDU had held the city from 1979-1997, when it was captured by the Socialists. CDU General Secretary Jerónimo de Sousa flew in to Évora to celebrate with the city's incoming mayor, Carlos Pinto de Sá, on election night.
Faro
In Faro there was a massive upswing in support for the CDU, including having the only mayorship, Silves, that swung directly from the PSD to the CDU.
Guarda
Leiria
Lisbon
The PS and CDU both won key victories in Lisbon. The PS retained the district (and national) capital of Lisbon, with the best result ever achieved by any political party in Lisbon, and the CDU recaptured their historical stronghold of Loures from the PS.
Portalegre
Porto
Santarém
Setúbal
Viana do Castelo
Vila Real
Viseu
Madeira
Azores
Results by municipality
The table shows the results in the 20 District capitals plus Vila Nova de Gaia, Sintra, Oeiras and Matosinhos cities with over 100,000 inhabitants which are not district capitals.