The official campaign for Portugal’s 11th presidential election began on Sunday, with a record 11 candidates, seven of whom are backed by political parties.
The presidential election is scheduled for Sunday, January 18, with campaigning ending on January 16, followed by the customary day of reflection.
The ballot will feature a record number of candidates. Those standing include Henrique Gouveia e Melo; Luís Marques Mendes, supported by the Social Democrats (PSD) and the CDS; António Filipe, backed by the Communist Party (PCP); Catarina Martins of the Left Bloc; António José Seguro, supported by the Socialist Party (PS); painter Humberto Correia; trade unionist André Pestana; Jorge Pinto, backed by Livre; Cotrim Figueiredo, supported by Iniciativa Liberal; André Ventura of Chega; and musician Manuel João Vieira.
Although only 11 candidates are officially running, ballot papers will include 14 names. Three candidates – Joana Amaral Dias, Ricardo Sousa and José Cardoso – were excluded by the Constitutional Court after failing to correct irregularities within the legal deadline, but their names will still appear.
The pre-campaign period has been marked by controversy involving two leading candidates.
In the case of Luís Marques Mendes, supported by the governing parties (PSD and CDS), Sábado magazine reported that he declined to explain how he earned €709,000 net over the past two years as an external consultant for the law firm Abreu Advogados. In response, Marques Mendes sent Lusa a list of 22 clients of his consultancy.
Sábado also reported that the Almada Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating several direct award contracts approved by Henrique Gouveia e Melo during his time as Navy commander between 2017 and 2020. The Attorney General’s Office later clarified that the investigation is in its final stages and that Gouveia e Melo is not a defendant in the case.
Several candidates have said they hope the official campaign will focus less on controversies and more on issues that affect daily life in Portugal, particularly problems within the National Health Service (SNS).
The campaign begins amid a flu outbreak that has placed pressure on hospital emergency departments, making health a central theme in the early stages of campaigning. Coincidentally, the 2021 presidential campaign began during the Covid-19 pandemic, amid discussions of a possible new lockdown.
Housing, widely regarded as one of the country’s most pressing challenges, is also expected to feature prominently during the campaign.
If no candidate secures an outright majority on January 18, a second round will be held on February 8, as required by law.
The winner will succeed President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who was elected in 2016 and whose second term ends in March 2026. Since 1976, Portugal’s presidents have included António Ramalho Eanes (1976-1986), Mário Soares (1986-1996), Jorge Sampaio (1996-2006) and Cavaco Silva (2006-2016).
Source: Lusa
