Parliamentary Elections, 18 May 2025

On 18 May 2025, Portuguese citizens went to the polls in a snap legislative election. Portugal’s unicameral legislature, the Assembly of the Republic, comprises 230 members elected every four years through closed-list proportional representation in multi-member districts (IFES 2025). The President has the authority to dissolve parliament and call early elections—an action taken in this case following a no-confidence vote triggered by conflict-of-interest allegations involving Prime Minister António Costa’s government (OSCE/ODIHR 2025). This marked the third snap legislative election in three years (CNN 2025).

Oversight of the process was carried out by the Comissão Nacional de Eleições (CNE), Portugal’s permanent election commission. It was supported by 22 Tabulation Centre Commissions and approximately 13,000 Polling Station Commissions (OSCE/ODIHR 2025). The Ministry of Internal Administration also played a central role, managing logistics, public information and coordination with consulates for out-of-country voting (OSCE/ODIHR 2025). Despite the operational complexity of organizing four elections within two years, ODIHR interlocutors expressed confidence in the competence and impartiality of the electoral administration. 

Portugal offered a wide range of Special Voting Arrangements (SVAs) including multiple channels for early voting: domestic, overseas, and for hospitalized and incarcerated voters through municipal coordination (CNE n.d.a). Postal voting was also offered, with voters able to track their ballot using the official Voter Portal (CNE n.d.a). To support persons with disabilities, the CNE distributed flyers, instructional materials, and an ‘Accessible Elections Call to Vote’ video as part of broader civic information materials (CNE n.d.a; CNE 2025a; CNE n.d.b). Public entities coordinated transport to polling stations for elderly, dependent or geographically isolated voters (CNE 2025c). 

The campaign unfolded in a crowded political landscape shaped by signs of voter fatigue and public disillusionment. As Portugal’s 11th national election since 2020, the 2025 election saw a high abstention rate (Abreu 2025). Voter turnout stood at 58.23 per cent, down from 59.8 per cent in 2024­—albeit turnout for parliamentary elections has been below 60 per cent since 2009 (and in 2019 fell below 50 per cent) (International IDEA n.d.a).

Media regulation in Portugal guarantees editorial independence; however, defamation and insult remain criminalized (OSCE/ODIHR 2025). Paid political advertising was prohibited on TV and online from the moment elections were announced. Free airtime was provided to parties via lot. Although overall media coverage was assessed as balanced, concerns persisted regarding the fragmentation of the media environment and lack of robust fact-checking infrastructure (OSCE/ODIHR 2025). 

No campaign violence was reported but hate speech targeting women and marginalized groups was observed (OSCE/ODIHR 2025). The CNE issued public warnings about fraudulent emails impersonating the commission and the circulation of misleading voting instructions, including false claims about online voting and ballot marking procedures (CNE 2025b; CNE 2025d). A rise in disinformation activity was recorded during the campaign period. One notable case involved a viral fake message, falsely attributed to CNN, which claimed that a European electricity blackout was caused by a Russian cyberattack (EDMO 2025). EDMO also observed coordination among anonymous social media accounts amplifying far-right narratives, particularly in support of the Chega party. While no evidence of automation or foreign interference was found, these networks succeeded in reaching large audiences during key campaign moments, including the day of reflection (EDMO 2025).

Women won 77 out of 230 seats (33.5 per cent), a slight decrease from the 80 seats held in the previous parliament (International IDEA n.d.b). Although Portugal enforces a legislated gender quota of 40 per cent on candidate lists, ODIHR interlocutors questioned its efficacy in practice. They also cited persistent gender stereotypes, structural barriers to women’s leadership, and rising online hate speech targeting women politicians and their families. Women MPs and politicians were subjected to cyberviolence, death threats, intimidating social media posts, and intersectional verbal attacks linked to advocacy on gender-related policies, reproductive and sexual rights (OSCE/ODIHR 2025). 

Portugal’s legal framework continues to disenfranchise citizens with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, an approach criticized by ODIHR as incompatible with international standards (OSCE/ODIHR 2025).

The centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD), led by Luís Montenegro, emerged as the largest bloc with 91 seats, though it fell short of a parliamentary majority. The far-right Chega party increased its presence significantly, winning 60 seats (International IDEA n.d.b). Following the election, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa invited Montenegro to form a minority government, which officially took office on 5 June.

Innovations

Established by law in 2019 and operational since 2023, the Entity for Transparency, an independent body affiliated with the Constitutional Court, is charged with maintaining the database of assets declarations by high-ranking officials and of processing data requests. ODIHR interlocutors raised concerns about legal changes and increasingly restrictive implementation practices related to accessing information of public interest—impacting whistleblowers and investigative journalism—as well as the efficiency and effectiveness of the Entity for Transparency and other oversight agencies (OSCE/ODIHR 2025).