2026 Portuguese presidential election

Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in Portugal in January 2026. The elections will elect the successor to President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who is barred from running for a third term.

Background and election procedure
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was re-elected in January 2021 with almost 61 percent 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 that lasted until April 2024. This cohabitation ended after the March 2024 elections which resulted in the nomination of Luís Montenegro, from the Social Democratic Party, also the party of the President, as Prime Minister. 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.

Independent

 * Tim Vieira – businessman

Socialist Party

 * Alexandra Leitão – incumbent Parliamentary leader of the Socialist Party (PS) since 2024; former minister for the Modernization of the State and Public Administration (2019–2022)
 * Augusto Santos Silva – former President of the Assembly of the Republic (2022–2024); minister in the 14th, 17th, 18th, 21st, 22nd governments

Social Democratic Party

 * Luís Marques Mendes – former Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader (2005–2007)

CHEGA

 * André Ventura – incumbent leader of CHEGA (since 2019); presidential candidate in the previous election

Independent

 * José Castelo Branco – socialite
 * 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) (decision expected in mid 2024)

Socialist Party

 * Ana Gomes – former MEP of the Socialist Party (PS) (2014–2019); finished in second place in the previous presidential election
 * 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)
 * António José Seguro – former secretary-general of the Socialist Party (PS) (2011–2014)
 * Fernando Medina – former Minister of Finance (2022–2024); former mayor of Lisbon (2015–2021)
 * Francisco Assis – incumbent member of Parliament since 2024 (also in 1995–2004 and 2009—2014); former MEP of the Socialist Party (PS) (2004–2009; 2014–2019); former mayor of Amarante (1990–1995)

Social Democratic Party

 * Pedro Passos Coelho – former prime minister (2011–2015); former Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader (2010–2018)
 * Rui Rio – former Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader (2018–2022), former mayor of Porto (2002–2013)

Left Bloc

 * Catarina Martins – former leader of the Left Bloc (2012–2023)
 * Francisco Louçã – former leader of the Left Bloc (BE) (1999–2012); candidate for the 2006 presidential election
 * Mariana Mortágua – Left Bloc (BE) leader since 2023

Liberal Initiative

 * João Cotrim de Figueiredo – former leader of the Liberal Initiative (IL) (2019–2023)
 * Tiago Mayan – incumbent President of the Parish of Aldoar, Foz do Douro e Nevogilde since 2021; presidential candidate in the previous election

Portuguese Communist Party

 * João Ferreira – former MEP of the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) (2009–2021); presidential candidate in the previous election
 * Paulo Raimundo – incumbent secretary-general of the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) (since 2022)

CDS - People's Party

 * 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
 * Cecília Meireles – former member of Parliament and former Secretary of State for Tourism

Independent

 * António Sampaio da Nóvoa – former Rector of the University of Lisbon (2006–2013); finished in second place in the 2016 presidential election
 * José Sócrates – former prime minister (2005–2011); former secretary-general of the Socialist Party (PS) (2004–2011)
 * Mário Centeno – incumbent governor of the Bank of Portugal (since 2020); former President of the Eurogroup (2018–2020); former Minister of Finance (2015–2020)
 * Rui Moreira – incumbent mayor of Porto since 2013

Declined

 * António Costa – former prime minister (2015–2024); former secretary-general of the Socialist Party (PS) (2014–2024)
 * António Vitorino – former Minister of the Presidency and Defence (1995–1997)
 * 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
 * José Durão Barroso – former President of the European Commission (2004–2014); former prime minister (2002–2004); former Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader (1998–2004)

Preferred candidate
Poll results showing public opinion on who would be the best candidate for each political side, are shown in the table below in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first.

Polling
The table below lists the evolution of public opinion on the President's performance in office.