Portugal's CNE Sends Seixal Municipal Bulletins to Prosecutors Over Election Neutrality Breach

The Comissão Nacional de Eleições (CNE) determined that two municipal bulletins issued by Seixal in July and August 2025 violated the duties of neutrality, impartiality and the ban on institutional advertising during the electoral period. In a deliberation dated 3 August, the CNE noted indications of possible criminal conduct and referred the case to the Ministério Público for assessment of criminal responsibility. The decision follows two complaints lodged against Paulo Silva, the president of the Câmara Municipal of Seixal (CDU).

The CNE explained that public entities and their officials must observe strict neutrality from the election date onward, and may not undertake actions that could be perceived as favoring any candidate. It said the bulletins highlighted the municipality’s “effort, capacity of action and execution and the dynamism of the executive” in a way that could be read by voters as self‑praise, creating an imbalance among competing candidacies. The municipal elections were held on 12 October. Silva defended the publication, noting it is a monthly bulletin with over 800 uninterrupted editions dating back to April 1975 and that its content is purely informational, not intended to benefit any candidate.