Portugal municipality to hold midterm elections

“No list secured a majority [in the October 2025 local elections]. Four lists were elected but failed to agree. They made several attempts but were unsuccessful,” Olegário Gonçalves, Mayor of Arcos de Valdevez and leader of the Viana do Castelo district branch of the PSD, told Lusa.

In today’s Diário da República (Official Gazette), the Secretary of State for Internal Administration, Telmo Correia, issued an order appointing the Administrative Commission for the Paçô Parish Assembly, “given the need to hold a by-election.”

The appointed Administrative Commission for the Paçô Parish Assembly consists of Virgílio Pascoal Alves Rodrigues (PPD/PSD), Cristina Maria Pedreira Coelho Ferreira (PPD/PSD), and Cesário Ferreira Gomes (IL).

In 2025, the PSD won the Paçô Parish Assembly election, securing 31.23% of the vote and three seats.

Three members were also elected representing the Liberal Initiative (IL), which received 24.13% of the vote, along with two members from the PS (23.97%) and one from the CDS (14.51%), according to Ministry of Internal Administration results consulted by Lusa.

According to Olegário Gonçalves, no date has been set for the by-election yet, as the National Electoral Commission (CNE) is responsible.