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Portugal's Prime Minister Costa: Undeniably frustrated
Photo: ANTONIO COTRIM / EPA
Despite losses in the local elections on Sunday, the socialists ruling in Portugal emerged as the strongest force with 34.34 percent of the nationwide vote.
The minus was 3.5 percentage points compared to the 2017 election, as the National Electoral Commission announced.
It was the third local election in a row that the socialists have won.
In the capital Lisbon, which had been in the hands of the socialists for 14 years, however, the social democratic candidate surprisingly won - the former EU Commissioner Carlos Moedas.
The socialist incumbent Fernando Medina admitted defeat.
In the end, only around 6,000 votes decided the election in Lisbon.
Socialists lose Lisbon and other important cities
The socialist head of government of Portugal, António Costa, said on Monday: "I am frustrated, that is undeniable." He did not expect the defeat.
His party also lost in other important cities.
In Porto, the country's second largest city, the independent candidate Rui Moreira was re-elected.
The Social Democrats, a conservative-liberal party, are counted as a center-right force in the Portuguese party spectrum.
Moedas, 51 years old, once worked for Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs, he wants to turn Lisbon into a startup metropolis and, among other things, limit the number of cars that can enter the city.
Turnout just over 50 percent
Nationwide, around 9.3 million eligible voters were called on to redefine city and local parliaments on Sunday.
Costa and other politicians had called on people to exercise their right to vote in view of the freedom of movement regained after Corona.
According to the election commission, voter turnout was 53.69 percent, slightly below the 2017 mark.
Portugal has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.
Almost 85 percent are fully vaccinated against Corona.
Most of the corona restrictions will be lifted next Friday.
slü / dpa