1997 Lisbon local election

The 1997 Lisbon local election was held on 14 December 1997 to elect the members of the Lisbon City Council.

Incumbent mayor João Soares, who replaced Jorge Sampaio in November 1995, won a first full term in a coalition with the Portuguese Communist Party, defeating Joaquim Ferreira do Amaral, the PSD/CDS coalition candidate.

In the 1993 election, the coalition between the Socialist Party, the Communist Party, the Ecologist Party "The Greens", the Revolutionary Socialist Party and the People's Democratic Union, led by the incumbent mayor Jorge Sampaio, won an absolute majority, achieving 56.7% of the votes and 11 seats in the city council. They defeated the Social Democratic Party, led by José Macário Correia, who got 26.3% of the votes and 5 seats; and the People's Party, led by Pedro Feist, who got 7.8% of the votes and 1 seat.

Jorge Sampaio resigned as Mayor of Lisbon on 15 November 1995 in order to run in the 1996 presidential election, which he would end up winning. He was replaced by João Soares, who was the son of President Mário Soares.

Each party or coalition must present a list of candidates. The winner of the most voted list for the municipal council is automatically elected mayor, similar to first-past-the-post (FPTP). The lists are closed and the seats in each municipality are apportioned according to the D'Hondt method.