Support for Progressive Socialists (PS) has been prevalent in Coimbra in the 21st century, yet the Social Democratic Party (PSD) emerged victorious in both 2011 and 2015 elections.
Rewritten Article:
In the electoral battles of the Coimbra district, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) has shown a mixed performance. In 2011, even with a district shift from 10 to nine mandates, they managed to secure five seats, edging out the socialists with three and CDS/PP with just one.
Four years later, in 2015, the PSD won by a narrow margin, securing four seats, equal to the Socialist Party (PS). The Bloco de Esquerda snagged the remaining seat.
The PS has traditionally outperformed the PSD in elections, but the distribution of seats hasn't always mirrored these trends. For instance, in 2002 and 2005, both the PS and PSD secured five and six seats, respectively, while in 2009 and 2019, the distribution was 4 PS, 3 PSD, and 1 Bloco de Esquerda.
During the 2019 and 2022 elections, the PS swept the victory with six and five seats, respectively, while the PSD managed three and three seats. In the 2024 elections, the PS secured four seats against three from the Alliance coalition (AD), with the emergence of Chega, which earned two seats in Coimbra for the first time.
For the upcoming May 18 elections in 2026, the PS has chosen Pedro Delgado Alves, a long-time socialist deputy, to lead their list. Previously an elected deputy from Lisbon, he's now stepped up to head the list for the Coimbra district following Ana Abrunhosa, who was chosen as the presidential candidate for the Coimbra City Council.
The AD coalition, comprising the PSD and CDS-PP, has once again nominated Rita Judice, the current Minister of Justice and a jurist residing in Lisbon, as the head of their list for the Coimbra district.
Meanwhile, Chega has opted for the current president of the Chega district and political advisor, Paulo Seco, to replace António Pinto Pereira as the head of their list. The Bloco de Esquerda, headed by historian and researcher Miguel Cardina, has retained its consistent presence in the Coimbra district.
Iniciativa Liberal has chosen doctor Catarina Graveto to lead their list, while education professional André Chichorro de Carvalho stands as the candidate for Livre. Returning to the Coimbra district after a 35-year hiatus, CDU has nominated lawyer Fernando Teixeira, and PAN has once again chosen higher education professor João Fontes da Costa to head their lists.
The remaining heads of lists in the Coimbra district include Sancho Antunes (ADN), Inez Tafula (Reagir Incluir Reciclar – RIR), Joana Bento Rodrigues (Nova Direita), Manuel Baeta (Volt), Pedro Marques (Ergue-te), João Guilherme Ribeiro (Juntos Pelo Povo), and Manuel São João (PPM).
Ready to dive deeper into the electoral history of the Coimbra district? Check out the fascinating story of the University of Coimbra maintaining energy during a blackout thanks to microgrids.
(Information about detailed historical election results, specific parties' performance, and potential sources for more information was compiled from available resources, academic studies, and official records.)
- The Social Democratic Party (PSD) maintained a strong presence in the Coimbra district's elections, even outperforming the traditionally dominant Socialist Party (PS) in some years.
- In contrast, the French political party CDU has just recently returned to the Coimbra district's political landscape after a 35-year absence.
- The AD coalition, which includes the PSD and CDS-PP, has nominated a jurist, Rita Judice, currently residing in Lisbon, to head their list for the upcoming elections in Coimbra.
- Among the parties vying for seats in the Coimbra district's policy-and-legislation politics, the education professional André Chichorro de Carvalho is a candidate for Livre, adding diversity to the general news of the district's electoral landscape.
