Cascais Government Shifts as PSD Partners with Chega, Prompting Socialist Exit

The Portugal Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Chega party have formalized a governing partnership in Cascais, a wealthy coastal municipality in the Lisbon district, prompting the Socialist Party (PS) to withdraw from the executive and leaving the junior coalition partner CDS-PP in an uncertain position.

Why This Matters

• Chega receives executive portfolios in one of Portugal's wealthiest towns, marking an expansion of the party's influence in local governance

• PS withdraws its posts immediately, returning municipal portfolios and moving to opposition over ideological concerns

• Cascais residents face governance changes as the coalition that won the October 2025 election restructures just months into a four-year mandate

Deal Shifts Power Balance in Coastal Hub

Announced on February 23 during a municipal assembly session, the pact between Mayor Nuno Piteira Lopes (PSD) and the two Chega councilors fundamentally reshapes how Cascais will be run until 2029. The agreement hands real administrative responsibility to a party that captured 14.5% of the vote in the October local elections but until now sat outside the governing structure.

João Rodrigues dos Santos, one of Chega's two elected representatives, now controls portfolios for Transparency and Anti-Corruption Norms as well as Physical Activity and Sports. His colleague, Pedro Teodoro dos Santos, takes a seat on the oversight and audit commission for Águas de Cascais (AdC), the municipal water utility.

The move effectively dissolves the original governing arrangement struck after the election, when the PSD/CDS-PP coalition lost its absolute majority after six consecutive terms and signed a partnership with the PS to secure stability. That coalition, brokered for the 2025-2029 mandate, lasted fewer than four months.

Why PS Withdrew

The Socialist Party's Cascais branch withdrew its two councilors—João Ruivo and Alexandra Domingos Carvalho—from executive duties the moment the Chega deal was announced. In a statement, the party cited incompatibility with democratic and humanist values, declaring it would not participate in any administration where Chega held portfolio responsibility.

The PS secured 16.17% of the vote in October 2025, finishing second and electing two representatives. Its immediate withdrawal underscores a national strategy among center-left and left-wing parties to refuse normalization of Chega in governance structures, a stance mirrored in other municipalities such as Sintra and Tomar, where similar agreements have triggered withdrawals or exclusions.

Nuno Piteira Lopes's PSD-aligned municipal council accused the Socialists of putting political interest above Cascais, suggesting that internal PS leadership contests may have driven the decision. "An agreement they have now decided to tear up," the statement read, framing the withdrawal as partisan maneuvering rather than principled dissent.

What This Means for Residents

For the approximately 210,000 residents of Cascais, the immediate effect is a shift in how policy decisions are made and which voices shape them. Residents seeking permits, filing transparency complaints, or engaging with municipal sports programs will now interact with Chega-led departments. The portfolios assigned to Chega—anti-corruption oversight and sports management—grant the party access to municipal budgets, staff, and the legitimacy that comes with executive responsibility.

The water utility oversight role is significant. Águas de Cascais manages one of the most visible and expensive public services in the area, and placing a Chega representative on its audit board means the party will monitor public spending decisions in this critical sector.

Residents accustomed to consensus-driven local politics now face a more fragmented council chamber. The CDS-PP, which ran in coalition with the PSD and still holds portfolio responsibilities, finds itself in an uncertain position—publicly distancing itself from Chega while remaining in a government that now includes the party.

CDS-PP Caught in the Middle

During the February 24 public council meeting, CDS-PP councilor Pedro Morais Soares stated unequivocally that his party "has not made and will never make any agreement with Chega." He announced that the party's internal bodies would convene to assess the situation, but as of this report, no formal decision on whether to remain in the executive has been made public.

The CDS-PP, a traditional center-right party that once dominated Portuguese politics, now faces a dilemma: remain in a government that includes Chega, or withdraw and lose influence in a municipality where it has deep roots. The party's silence following Morais Soares's announcement suggests internal divisions.

Former Mayor Calls Decision 'Bizarre'

António Capucho, who served as PSD mayor of Cascais from 2001 to 2011, publicly broke with his own party, describing the Chega partnership as "bizarre" and "unqualifiable." Speaking to Portuguese news agency Lusa, he argued that municipal power "must not, cannot, be extended to Chega" on ideological and programmatic grounds.

Capucho's criticism carries weight: he built the PSD's dominance in Cascais over a decade, and his public rebuke signals discomfort within the party's own ranks. He pointed out that a working majority already existed through the Democratic Alliance (AD) and PS agreement, making the Chega pact unnecessary from a purely arithmetic standpoint.

Election Results Forced the Issue

The October 2025 municipal elections upended Cascais politics. The Viva Cascais list, led by Nuno Piteira Lopes, won 30,258 votes (33.84%) and five seats—short of the seven needed for a majority on the 11-member executive. The PS took 14,460 votes (16.17%) and two seats, while an independent slate led by João Maria Jonet captured 13,203 votes (14.77%) and also secured two councilors.

Chega's 12,954 votes (14.49%) translated into two seats, making it a potential kingmaker. The fragmentation of the council left no party with outright control, forcing coalition-building negotiations that have now produced this outcome.

National Pattern Emerges

Cascais is not an isolated case. Similar deals have reshaped local governance in Sintra, where Chega gained portfolios for Security and Economic Activities, and in Tomar, where the party secured a portfolio to stabilize a PSD/CDS coalition. In both instances, the PS either withdrew from the executive or was excluded from the start.

The Livre party has been particularly vocal in opposing these arrangements. In Sintra, Livre refused participation in any project involving Chega, warning that assigning the security portfolio to the party risks fostering "hatred and racial and xenophobic discrimination."

Nationally, Chega won outright control of only three municipalities in the 2025 local elections—Albufeira, Entroncamento, and São Vicente (Madeira)—but party leader André Ventura acknowledged the results fell short of expectations. However, the party's presence as a swing vote in larger cities and capitals has given it leverage disproportionate to its vote share.

Legal and Ideological Debate

Piteira Lopes defended the decision in a statement released through the PSD's Cascais branch, arguing that including all elected officials in governance "is nothing more than a demonstration of respect for voters' choices and electoral results." He framed the move as upholding "diversity and plurality" in democratic participation.

"Since I assumed office, my party has been Cascais," the mayor said, adding that he would not deviate "one millimeter" from his commitment to residents. The statement positioned the Chega partnership as a pragmatic response to electoral arithmetic, not an ideological endorsement.

Critics, however, see the logic as concerning. By normalizing Chega's presence in executive roles, opponents argue, the PSD legitimizes a party whose rhetoric and policy positions on immigration, nationalism, and social issues have drawn comparisons to far-right movements elsewhere in Europe.

What Happens Next

The PS has moved into full opposition mode, a stance that could complicate the passage of budgets, urban planning decisions, and major infrastructure projects over the next three years. Without PS votes, the PSD will rely on Chega and the fragile patience of the CDS-PP to govern effectively.

The two independent councilors elected under João Maria Jonet's banner now become critical votes. Their positioning—whether they support, oppose, or abstain on key measures—will determine whether the council functions smoothly or faces deadlock.

For Cascais residents, the immediate impact may be less dramatic than the political developments suggest. Municipal services, from waste collection to beach management, typically continue regardless of coalition shifts. But the budget cycle ahead—likely to include debates over tax rates, development permits, and public works spending—will test whether this partnership can produce coherent policy or result in prolonged instability.