Latest news and stories about local politics in legal in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
The Chega party has tabled a motion of no confidence against Oeiras Mayor Isaltino Morais following his indictment for the alleged misuse of 150,000 euros in public funds for personal expenses.
The Socialist Party in Lisbon has accused Mayor Carlos Moedas of illegally retaining Alberto Laplaine Guimarães as municipal secretary-general, arguing that his tenure has exceeded the legal ten-year limit and that a new public tender was required.
The Chega party has officially distanced itself from Lisbon councillor Bruno Mascarenhas following reports that his partner was renting clandestine housing to immigrants in poor conditions.
Festivities by a citizens' committee had been authorised by the Lisbon City Council and the PSP, but were visited by the Municipal Police. Later, the president of the parish council wanted to know if the PCP had organised the event.
José Toga Soares lives in Maia, in the Porto district, but has presided over the Avenidas Novas parish assembly in Lisbon since 2021. He received over 10,000 euros in allowances. The official downplays the situation.
Carlos Moedas avoided a mandatory debate requested by Livre at the Municipal Assembly, where the party intended to criticise the ethics of the Lisbon mayor. PSD deputies voted in favour of an appeal to block the debate, supported by Chega, which voted alongside the Social Democrats despite not being part of Moedas' municipal coalition. Consequently, Moedas will not provide the requested explanations. Notably, the CDS-PP and Liberal Initiative (IL) groups, both part of the governing coalition, voted against the appeal. The CDS-PP stated that while they disagreed with the tone of Livre's request, they believed the appropriate response was to debate the issues in the plenary rather than suppress them. Livre intended to question Moedas regarding several controversial appointments and management decisions, including those involving Mafalda Livermore, Joana Baptista, and Laplaine Guimarães, as well as changes in the city's cultural institutions. The PS abstained, while the PCP, Left Bloc, and Livre voted against the appeal.
The president of Estrelas de São João de Brito is Mascarenhas' advisor for sports and participated in the discussion of the proposal. Chega accuses the PS of 'political persecution' and the PSD of 'tagging along'.
The municipalities of Oeiras and Amadora are on the brink of conflict. It is essential to compare the military capabilities of these two powers to better follow the unfolding of hostilities.
The majority voted against the suspension of the mayor, who is accused alongside 22 other officials of embezzlement and abuse of power regarding 150,000 euros in meal expenses.
The Oeiras Municipal Assembly today rejected a motion of no confidence, proposed by Chega, which called for the suspension of the mayor's mandate, Isaltino Morais, following a Public Prosecutor's indictment regarding meal expenses.
The Oeiras Municipal Assembly rejected a motion of censure on Tuesday, proposed by Chega, which called for the suspension of Mayor Isaltino Morais's mandate following a Public Prosecutor's indictment regarding meal expenses. The motion was defeated by a majority, with votes against from the Isaltino Inovar Oeiras 25 (INOV) movement, PS, Evoluir Oeiras (Livre/BE/Volt), CDU (PCP/PEV), and PAN, while IL abstained and Chega voted in favour. The indictment involves the mayor and 22 others accused of embezzlement and abuse of power related to over 150,000 euros in meal expenses. During the debate, political parties criticised the motion for conflating accusation with conviction and violating the presumption of innocence, though they emphasised the need for political scrutiny. Mayor Morais defended himself, stating the expenses cover seven years and thousands of meals, rejecting claims of misuse of public funds.
A group of citizens from Amadora moved to halt the 'tree line' that Isaltino was building to stop an 'invasion of territory'. The court has five days to issue a ruling.
Alberto Gonçalves comments on the Public Prosecutor's indictment of Isaltino Morais, mayor of Oeiras
Three deputies from the party requested the immediate “suspension of duties or resignation” of the mayor of Oeiras and 22 other people accused of misuse of public funds.
At issue is the embezzlement charge against the mayor.
The Chega party in the Oeiras Municipal Assembly has tabled a motion of no confidence against the local executive, citing a loss of political legitimacy following the indictment of Mayor Isaltino Morais for embezzlement. The Public Prosecutor's Office has charged Morais and 22 other municipal officials over the alleged misuse of 150,000 euros in public funds for personal meals between 2017 and 2024. While Morais maintains that the expenses were for legitimate working lunches, the motion demands his resignation or suspension to protect the municipality's reputation and institutional trust.
The motion of no confidence was presented by the Chega municipal group in Oeiras, after Isaltino was accused of embezzling 150,000 euros for meals. Also, Iran rules out negotiations with the United States.
Chega in Oeiras presents a motion of no confidence against Isaltino Morais. Francisco O'Neill speaks of an ethical issue that “does not dignify the municipality” and says he is expectant regarding the vote of the remaining opposition.
The mayor is suspected of having used 150,000 euros of municipal funds for fake business lunches. The Public Prosecutor's Office states that the mayor “acted in flagrant deviation and abuse of functions, with a serious violation of the duties inherent to the office.” Chega is calling for the resignation of the municipal executive.
The Mayor of Lisbon defended the transparency of the protocol with the UACS, which has been in effect since 2011. The PS and BE are calling for political accountability following the arrest of the secretary-general.
Socialist councillor in Oeiras says she has 'difficulty understanding' the 150,000 euros spent on meals. Isaltino guarantees that everything is within the law.
Isaltino Morais shares lunches paid for with taxpayer money on social media — is he surprised by the accusation? And the 'measured' Bank of Portugal, one of the novelties from Álvaro Santos Pereira.
Moedas will keep councillor Joana Baptista in her role after she was accused of embezzlement related to Oeiras funds for meals. Additionally, a date has been set for the election of names for the Court of Auditors.
The Public Prosecutor's Office is requesting the forfeiture of political mandates for the positions currently held by the accused. Lisbon councillor Joana Batista is one such case.
A motion of condemnation regarding the attack on the March for Life, signed by Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas and his majority councillors, urges all political forces to unambiguously distance themselves from movements and organisations whose discourse and practices are incompatible with the rule of law and which erode democratic coexistence or foster intimidation, coercion, and aggression. The text reaffirms the council's commitment to the rule of law and pluralism, condemning the use of a Molotov cocktail against participants and praising the security forces for preventing more serious consequences. The council describes the incident near the Assembly of the Republic as an unacceptable act of violence that threatens democratic principles and insists that such actions cannot be relativised. The document concludes that the attack is a clear sign of the dangers of trivialising totalitarian ideologies and calls for a return to balance and moderation.
The Public Prosecutor's Office has formally charged Isaltino Morais with embezzlement and is seeking his removal from his current political mandate.
The Public Prosecutor's Office is requesting the forfeiture of political mandates for the positions currently held by the accused. Lisbon councillor Joana Batista is one such case.
Carlos Moedas may continue without leaving a legacy that marks the memory of Lisbon residents, but he possesses one merit that no one can take away: the ability to repeatedly construct a narrative where criticism, demands, and accountability rarely touch him. Due to a lack of scrutiny, Moedas is the politician who seems to be allowed everything. Riding the wave of populism, he bases his discourse on an implicit rejection of political parties, seeking to place himself above them as an independent and unifying figure. This is not original: Cavaco Silva also tried to cultivate this image of supra-partisanship, which quickly collided with a reality that revealed the opposite, as he always acted as a reference for a party bloc. Moedas follows the same script, but without institutional weight, without tangible achievements, and with an obsessive dependence on the media construction of his image. While proclaiming distance from party logic, Moedas actively participates in the internal dynamics of his political space. He is permanently involved in power struggles, whether to avoid being overtaken by Passos Coelho, to position himself regarding Montenegro's leadership, or in attempts to influence the PSD in Lisbon. The inconsistency between his discourse and his actions is evident. None of this would be particularly relevant if not for an unavoidable and worrying detail: Lisbon needs a mayor more concerned with the city's problems than with TikTok views. Let us look at the facts. The alleged 17,000 jobs associated with the so-called 'unicorn factory' remain unidentified. Moedas repeatedly avoids clarifying who these 17,000 people are who were supposedly employed thanks to his unicorns. The appointment of Mafalda Livermore, from Chega, to the Lisbon City Council's Social Services raises serious doubts about a potential logic of exchanging favors to facilitate political decisions. Furthermore, there is an understanding with Chega that was hidden from Lisbon residents, compromising democratic transparency. Once again, Moedas is allowed to get away with everything. In parallel, there is a systematic appropriation of work that does not belong to him. Daycare centers, health clinics, schools, housing, gardens, and major urban interventions are repeatedly presented as his own achievements, even when they result from previous planning and investment. The General Drainage Plan is perhaps the most evident example of this political revisionism. Scrutiny? Non-existent or pathetic. The staging reaches its peak in moments like the handing over of keys to Gebalis houses, which are transformed into true personal promotion events. Communication replaces truth and factuality, while municipal resources are mobilized to reinforce a carefully constructed image. Ultimately, a simple logic prevails: good news is always appropriated, while bad news is systematically attributed to third parties. This pattern is not just a trait of political style, but a serious problem of public accountability. Lisbon deserves more than this. It deserves scrutiny, coherence, and truth.
The girlfriend of the Chega candidate for the capital's municipality had already appeared over a year ago in one of the most high-profile cases, which involves José Castelo Branco's mansion.
Following the PS accusation that Laplaine Guimarães is holding office illegally, Carlos Moedas accuses Alexandra Leitão of “total ignorance”. The councillor insists on her criticisms.
