With the approval of the names of Marta Temido as the head of the list for the Socialist Party (PS) and Sebastião Bugalho for the Democratic Alliance (AD) for the European elections, the majority of the 'number 1s' for the elections on March 9 are already known. So far, and taking into account the parties with parliamentary seats, only the PAN is yet to put forward the name it wants to take to the European Parliament.

Who are, after all, the lead candidates of the main parties for the European elections?

Sebastião Bugalho - Democratic Alliance

Sebastião Bugalho will be the head of the list of the Democratic Alliance (AD) for the European elections in June. The news was reported yesterday by SIC Notícias, where the journalist is a commentator, and confirmed to Lusa by an official source from the coalition. Sebastião Maria Reis Bugalho was born on November 15, 1995 (28 years old) and is currently a columnist for Expresso and a television commentator for SIC. The eldest son of journalists João Alberto Santos Fernandes Bugalho and Patrícia Reis, Bugalho was a student of the Political Science course at the Institute of Political Studies of the Catholic University, having taken his first steps in journalism at i and Sol and was later a commentator on TVI24.

Speech by the PSD President at the National Council https://t.co/NafIwwWtAT

— PSD (@ppdpsd) April 22, 2024

Marta Temido - Socialist Party

Former minister and current deputy Marta Temido will be the head of the list of the Socialist Party (PS) for the European elections in June. The news was reported yesterday by RTP and confirmed by a party source to the Lusa agency. With a PhD in International Health from the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine of the New University of Lisbon, a master's degree in Health Management and Economics from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra, the socialist has a degree in Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra. After being a member of three of António Costa's executives, Marta Temido resigned as Minister of Health on August 30, 2022, because she understood that she no longer had the conditions to exercise her mandate. After leaving her government functions, she assumed her mandate as a deputy, a position for which she was re-elected in the last legislative elections and which she currently holds.

A balanced list led by a great woman that the Portuguese know very well, someone who has shown great leadership skills at a difficult time in the country's life. Marta Temido leads a list that combines preparation, quality, experience and also youth, a… pic.twitter.com/PhPGUQV48W

— psocialista (@psocialista) April 22, 2024

António Tânger Corrêa - Chega

Chega leader André Ventura confirmed in March that António Tânger Corrêa is the head of the list for the European elections. Ventura considered that the candidate has "the political experience and knowledge of the international world" necessary. António Manuel Moreira Tânger Corrêa is 71 years old, has been vice-president of Chega since 2020 and was first on the list proposed by the party for the Council of State in 2022. He is a former member of the CDS-PP and served as ambassador to several countries, including Qatar between 2015 and 2018, Lithuania between 2005 and 2008, among others.

Our President André Ventura was at the presentation of the new book by ambassador António Tânger Corrêa, our candidate in the next European elections.

May no one stay home on June 9 and go out to vote. The future of Portugal and Europe depends only on you. 🇵🇹 #CHEGA pic.twitter.com/xFdVj4TNGk

— Partido CHEGA 🇵🇹 (@PartidoCHEGA) April 23, 2024

João Cotrim Figueiredo - Liberal Initiative

The Liberal Initiative approved the name of its former president João Cotrim Figueiredo as the party's head of the list for the European elections in June, with 47 votes in favor and two abstentions. Cotrim Figueiredo was the first elected member of the IL to the Assembly of the Republic, in 2019, then as the only deputy, having been elected by Lisbon and still as an independent. In the early legislative elections of 2022, the party managed to go from one to eight deputies, becoming the fourth political force. On October 23, 2022, João Cotrim Figueiredo made the decision to leave the leadership of the IL, a surprise that forced early internal elections that took place at the beginning of this year and led Rui Rocha to the leadership of the party after a very divided and tense convention.

ON THE WAY TO THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS: JOÃO COTRIM FIGUEIREDO

João Cotrim Figueiredo is the Liberal Initiative candidate for the European Elections. The candidacy was approved today, with guidelines for the electoral manifesto to be developed with the contribution of all members of the… pic.twitter.com/X6ilH4XIvx

— Iniciativa Liberal (@LiberalPT) April 21, 2024