“The Council of Ministers set on 1 July the date of 26 September, 2021 for the holding of general elections for the representative bodies of local authorities”, she said.

Asked by journalists whether the Government is considering postponing the elections due to a worsening of the pandemic situation, Mariana Vieira da Silva said that Portugal “has conditions to hold elections in safety”.

According to the electoral law for the bodies of local authorities, these elections are scheduled “by Government decree at least 80 days in advance” and take place “between the 22 September and the 14 October of the same year at the end of the term of office”.