Catarina Martins Files 9,500 Signatures for 2026 Presidential Run, Prioritises Housing

Portugal is now certain to see another familiar face on the presidential ballot. Catarina Martins, long-time standard-bearer for Portugal’s left-wing Bloco de Esquerda, has filed the paperwork and more than 9,500 supporting signatures, clearing the legal hurdle to run for head of state.

Quick glance

• Minimum signatures required: 7,500

• Martins delivered: ~9,500

• Presidential election expected: late January 2026

• Incumbent Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is term-limited

Why the signature drop matters

Unlike legislative races, presidential hopefuls must first persuade thousands of citizens to sign an official petition. The Constitutional Court won’t even list a name unless 7,500 electors back the bid. By handing in a cushion of nearly 2 k extra names, Martins signals organisational muscle after leaving the Bloco’s leadership last year. For comparison, several minor candidates in 2021 struggled to cross the line, and two were rejected outright.

Who is Catarina Martins in 2025?

The 52-year-old former theatre actress steered Bloco de Esquerda through the post-troika years, helping force issues such as rent controls, LGBTQ+ rights and the minimum-wage hike onto Portugal’s mainstream agenda. Although she stepped down as party coordinator in 2023, she kept a seat in Parliament and remained one of the country’s most recognisable progressive voices. Her move into the presidential arena formalises speculation that began the moment Marcelo confirmed he would not seek a constitutional amendment to stay on.

How the race is shaping up

Pollsters expect at least five serious contenders, likely spanning Portugal’s ideological spectrum. Centre-left circles are still waiting for the Socialist Party to anoint a favourite—rumours swirl around former infrastructure minister Pedro Nuno Santos—while the centre-right could rally behind Luís Montenegro or an independent conservative outsider. An openly left-wing candidacy such as Martins’s may split urban voters who swung to Marcelo in 2021 despite favouring the left in parliamentary elections. Diplomats note the presidency wields limited legislative power but can veto laws, dissolve Parliament and—critically—shape national conversation.

What comes next procedurally

The Constitutional Court must validate each signature and certify every candidate list by mid-December. Campaigning then enters a “pre-campaign” phase regulated by the National Elections Commission: advertising limits, donation caps and equal TV airtime kick in. Official campaigning starts two weeks before polling day, expected in the final Sundays of January. Portuguese citizens abroad will cast ballots by post a week earlier, a segment that represented 10.8 % of total votes in the last presidential election.

Why Portuguese residents should care

A president can refuse to promulgate controversial decrees—recent examples include the euthanasia bill and a controversial bank-bailout statute—forcing Parliament to rethink or reinforce legislation. If political deadlock returns to São Bento Palace, the new head of state could be asked to pick a technocratic prime minister or call snap elections. Martins has already hinted she would use the office to champion housing affordability and climate-focused industrial strategy, issues that resonate from Porto to Faro.

The bottom line

Catarina Martins’ signature hand-in transforms rumour into reality and nudges Portugal toward the most open presidential contest in two decades. Whether her trademark blend of grass-roots activism and institutional experience scales to Belém Palace will hinge on voters well beyond the traditional left—but crossing the first procedural gate shows she plans to make that pitch in earnest.