António Miguel Pina has been re-elected as president of AMAL, the association that brings together the mayors of the Algarve’s 16 municipalities, for the 2025-2029 term.
Pina, the former mayor of Olhão who was just recently elected the new mayor of Faro, received 13 votes in favour and two blank votes in a vote on Wednesday morning. The mayor of Portimão, Álvaro Bila, was absent and did not vote.
“I sincerely thank my fellow mayors for their trust. This vote is not just for me – it’s for the idea that the Algarve must remain united, cohesive, and capable of speaking with one voice. Leading AMAL is more than coordinating municipalities; it’s about caring for an entire region, its people, its dreams, and its challenges,” Pina said after the vote in a Facebook post.
“We will continue to show that cooperation between municipalities is not a utopia: it’s the right path to solve real problems, plan for the future with intelligence, and ensure that every public decision serves those who matter most – the people of the Algarve,” he said.
“Our goal remains the same: to strengthen cohesion, speed up responses, and make AMAL a true driver of regional development – tackling water scarcity, improving mobility, education, health, waste management, and everything that challenges us to do better.”
The vice-presidencies of AMAL will be held by Ana Paula Martins, mayor of Tavira, and Luísa Conduto Luís, mayor of Silves. The meeting was initially chaired by Telmo Pinto, mayor of Loulé, the Algarve municipality with the largest number of voters.
For the intermunicipal secretariat executive, Joaquim Brandão Pires was proposed to continue as first secretary. His appointment will be voted on at AMAL’s next meeting, expected to take place in December.
AMAL – the Intermunicipal Community of the Algarve, also known as the Algarve Municipalities Association – brings together all 16 municipalities of the Algarve – 11 governed by the Socialist Party (PS): Alcoutim, Faro, Lagoa, Lagos, Loulé, Monchique, Olhão, Portimão, São Brás de Alportel, Tavira, and Vila Real de Santo António; two by the Social Democratic Party (PSD): Castro Marim and Vila do Bispo; one by CDU: Silves; one by Chega: Albufeira; and one by the independent movement Renascer: Aljezur.
