Livre municipal deputies in Lisbon have requested an urgent debate to discuss responsibility and ethics in the leadership of the Lisbon City Council, criticising the management of the capital by Mayor Carlos Moedas. The request follows several controversial appointments and dismissals within the municipal administration, including the cases of Mafalda Livermore, Joana Baptista, and Laplaine Guimarães, as well as changes in leadership at cultural institutions like the Aljube Museum and the Teatro do Bairro Alto. Meanwhile, the City Council approved social support measures for the homeless, while rejecting a Left Bloc motion to use Santa Casa da Misericórdia property for affordable housing. The Communist Party (PCP) also criticised the lack of a 25th of April celebration concert and the direct appointment of Pedro Mexia for the 5L Festival.
Lisbon: Livre municipal deputies request debate to evaluate the ethics of Carlos Moedas' administration
Context & Explainers
Carlos Manuel Félix Moedas (born August 10, 1970, in Beja) is a civil engineer, economist, and center-right politician who has served as Mayor of Lisbon since October 2021. He earned degrees in civil engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico and an MBA from Harvard, working at Goldman Sachs and founding his own investment firm before entering politics. During Portugal's 2011-14 bailout, he served as Secretary of State coordinating Troika-mandated structural reforms. From 2014-19, he was European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, managing €77 billion in research funding and designing the €100 billion Horizon Europe program. Moedas narrowly won Lisbon's mayoralty in 2021 with 34.3%, defeating Socialist incumbent Fernando Medina. Governing initially with a minority coalition, he implemented free public transport for youth and elderly residents, launched the "Unicorn Factory Lisboa" innovation hub attracting 82 tech companies and 16,000 jobs, and won Lisbon the 2023 European Capital of Innovation award. He was re-elected in October 2025 with 41.7%, securing eight of nine council seats. His significance lies in shifting Lisbon's political trajectory rightward after decades of Socialist governance, positioning the capital as a European tech hub while prioritizing housing development, carbon neutrality by 2030, and innovation-driven economic growth.
- Leader: Rui Tavares
- Ideology: Green left-wing politics, libertarian socialism
LIVRE (meaning "Free") is a green left-wing party founded in 2014 by historian and former MEP Rui Tavares. The party struggled for years before finally electing Tavares as its first MP in 2022, then grew to 4 seats in 2024 and 6 seats in 2025—making it the only progressive party to gain ground in recent elections. LIVRE focuses on environmental protection, human rights, and progressive social policies while maintaining a pro-European stance.
