Next Azorean regional election

Next Azorean regional election
← 2024 No later than October 2028
57 seats to the Legislative Assembly of the Azores[1]
29 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
 
José Manuel Bolieiro - Entrevista Agência Lusa (cropped).png
Francisco cesar 01 (cropped).jpg
José Pacheco - CHEGA.jpg
Leader José Manuel Bolieiro Francisco César José Pacheco
Party PSD PS CHEGA
Alliance PSD/CDS/PPM
Leader since 14 December 2019[a] 29 June 2024 23 April 2022
Leader's seat São Miguel — São Miguel
Last election 26 seats, 42.1% 23 seats, 35.9% 5 seats, 9.2%
Seats needed Increase 3 Increase 6 Increase 24
 
António Lima (BE-Açores) - Entrevista Agência Lusa.png
Pedro Neves PAN.png
Leader António Lima Hugo Almeida Pedro Neves
Party BE IL PAN
Leader since 14 July 2018 2 November 2024 2019
Leader's seat Compensatory list — Compensatory list
Last election 1 seat, 2.5% 1 seat, 2.1% 1 seat, 1.6%
Seats needed Increase 28 Increase 28 Increase 28
Incumbent President

José Manuel Bolieiro
PSD



The next Azorean regional election will be held on or before October 2028, to determine the composition of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, Portugal. The election will replace all 57 members of the Azores Assembly, and the new members will then elect the President of the Autonomous Region.

President José Manuel Bolieiro, from the Social Democratic Party (PSD) leads a minority coalition government with the CDS – People's Party (CDS–PP) and the People's Monarchist Party (PPM).[2] The parties in the coalition government have contested the previous election in an electoral coalition.

Background

Leadership changes and challenges

Socialist Party

A few weeks after the February 2024 election, Vasco Cordeiro announced his intention to not run for another term as party leader.[3] A leadership ballot was called for 28 and 29 June 2024.[4] Only one candidate was on the ballot, Francisco César, son of former President of the Regional Government Carlos César.[5] As expected, Francisco César was easily elected with 93 percent of the votes:

Ballot: 28 and 29 June 2024
Candidate Votes %
Francisco César 93.3
Blank/Invalid ballots 6.7
Turnout
Source: Expresso

Liberal Initiative

The Liberal Initiative held a leadership ballot on 1 and 2 November 2024.[6] Nuno Barata, IL-Azores regional leader and regional parliament member decided not to run for another term as regional leader. Hugo Almeida was the sole candidate on the ballot.[6] On 2 November 2024, Hugo Almeida was elected with 82 percent of the delegates votes:[7]

Ballot: 1 and 2 November 2024
Candidate Votes %
Hugo Almeida 18 81.8
Abstentions 4 18.2
Turnout 22
Source:[7]

Electoral system

The Azores regional parliament elects 57 members through a proportional system in which the 9 islands elect a number of MPs proportional to the number of registered voters. MPs are allocated by using the D'Hondt method. 5 members are also elected for a Compensation constituency. Current distribution of MPs by constituency:

Constituency Total
MPs 		Registered
voters
Corvo 2
Faial 4
Flores 3
Graciosa 3
Pico 4
Santa Maria 3
São Jorge 3
São Miguel 20
Terceira 10
Compensation 5
Total 57

Parties

Current composition

The table below lists parties represented in the Legislative Assembly of the Azores before the election.

Name Ideology Leader 2024 result Status
% Seats
PPD/PSD Social Democratic Party
Partido Social Democrata 		Liberal conservatism José Manuel Bolieiro 42.1%
23 / 57
 Governing coalition
CDS–PP CDS – People's Party
Centro Democrático Social – Partido Popular 		Christian democracy Artur Lima
2 / 57
PPM People's Monarchist Party
Partido Popular Monárquico 		Monarchism Paulo Estêvão
1 / 57
PS Socialist Party
Partido Socialista 		Social democracy Francisco César 35.9%
23 / 57
 Opposition
CH CHEGA!
Chega! 		National conservatism José Pacheco 9.2%
5 / 57
BE Left Bloc
Bloco de Esquerda 		Democratic socialism António Lima 2.5%
1 / 57
IL Liberal Initiative
Iniciativa Liberal 		Classical liberalism Nuno Barata 2.1%
1 / 57
PAN People Animals Nature
Pessoas-Animais-Natureza 		Animal welfare Pedro Neves 1.6%
1 / 57

Opinion polls

Polling firm/Link Fieldwork date Sample size Turnout Democratic Alliance PS CH BE IL PAN CDU L O Lead
2024 EP election 9 Jun 2024 — 24.2 38.4
(25) 		32.3
(22) 		8.1
(4) 		3.7
(2) 		6.1
(3) 		1.3
(0) 		1.7
(0) 		2.4
(1) 		6.0
(0) 		6.1
2024 legislative election 10 Mar 2024 — 46.2 39.8
(26) 		29.2
(20) 		15.8
(8) 		3.4
(1) 		2.7
(1) 		1.6
(0) 		1.1
(0) 		1.7
(1) 		4.8
(0) 		10.6
2024 regional election 4 Feb 2024 — 50.3 42.1
26 		35.9
23 		9.2
5 		2.5
1 		2.1
1 		1.6
1 		1.6
0 		0.6
0 		3.1
0 		6.2

Notes

  1. ^ As leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD).

References

  1. ^ Alteração à Lei Eleitoral da ALRA dos Açores - CNE (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: Comissão Nacional dos Eleições, archived from the original on 2009-02-19
  2. ^ "Açores: programa de Governo de Bolieiro vai passar com abstenção do Chega". Expresso (in Portuguese). 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  3. ^ "Vasco Cordeiro não se recandidata à liderança do PS/Açores" (in Portuguese). Ponta Delgada, Portugal: RTP Açores. 20 April 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  4. ^ "Vasco Cordeiro apoia Francisco César à liderança do PS-Açores" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: Público. 13 May 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  5. ^ "Francisco César é candidato único à liderança do PS/Acores" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: Correio da Manhã. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Hugo Almeida é candidato único à liderança da Iniciativa Liberal dos Açores" (in Portuguese). Açores9. 23 October 2024. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Novo líder da IL/Açores diz que socialismo deixou a região na cauda da Europa" (in Portuguese). Observador. 2 November 2024. Retrieved 2 November 2024.