Carlos Manuel Félix Moedas (born 10 August 1970) is a Portuguese politician, civil engineer, and management graduate who has served as the mayor of Lisbon since 2021. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD).
From 2014 until 2019, Moedas served as European commissioner covering the portfolio of Research, Science and Innovation under the leadership of President Jean-Claude Juncker. Between 2011 and 2014 he served as Secretary of State in the XIX Constitutional Government of Portugal.
In March 2021, Moedas announced his candidacy as mayor of Lisbon in the 2021 local elections, and was elected on 26 September of the same year.Sofia Rodrigues (4 March 2021), Carlos Moedas: "Foi uma decisão de vida, reflectida e pensada" Público. Moedas won reelection to a second term in October 2025.
Early life and education Moedas was born to a communist journalist and a seamstressNicholas Hirst (February 3, 2015), Carlos Moedas: Convincing investor Politico Europe. in Beja, Alentejo, southern Portugal, in 1970. He studied at Lisbon University, graduating in 1993 with a degree in Civil Engineering from the Instituto Superior Técnico. He spent his final year studying at the ENPC (Paris) via the Erasmus Programme. He was one of the first Portuguese students to undertake an Erasmus exchange.Nicholas Hirst (February 3, 2015), Carlos Moedas: Convincing investor Politico Europe.
Professional career After leaving university, Moedas worked as a project manager for the Suez Group in France between 1993 and 1998. He then took postgraduate studies at Harvard Business School, graduating in 2000 with the degree of MBA, after which he came back to Europe to work in mergers and acquisitions for Goldman Sachs. He then worked at Eurohypo Investment Bank in its Real Estate Investment Banking Division, before returning, in August 2004, to Portugal, when Moedas joined the real estate consulting company Aguirre Newman Portugal (now Savills Portugal) becoming Managing Partner until 2008, when he set up his own investment management company, Crimson Investment Management.,Vida Imobiliária, April 2009 (in Portuguese)
Political career Following the Eurozone crisis, Moedas was appointed coordinator of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Economic Research Unit. He and Eduardo Catroga led PSD negotiations in the run-up to Portugal's 2011 State Budget, following which he was selected by PSD to contest the Beja constituency in the legislative elections held on the 5th of June 2011.
Moedas was elected to Parliament, becoming the first PSD Member of Parliament for that district since 1995."Carlos Moedas" , Diário de Notícias, 27 junho 2011 (in Portuguese) The day after entering Parliament, on 21 June 2011, the Prime Minister appointed him to his Cabinet in the XIX Constitutional Government as Secretary of State.Profile of Carlos Moedas on the Portuguese Government Website
Moedas oversaw EASME (Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), the agency created to monitor and control the implementation of the structural reforms agreed in the context of the assistance programme by a troika composed of the European Commission, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
In 2014, Pedro Passos Coelho, Prime Minister of Portugal, nominated him as European Commissioner, and Moedas' name was approved by EC President-elect Jean-Claude Juncker on 1 September. On 1 November 2014, Moedas became European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation.
In March 2021, Moedas announced his candidacy as Mayor of Lisbon in the 2021 local elections, and was elected on 26 September of the same year. He took office on 18 October 2021.Carlos Moedas toma posse como presidente da Câmara de Lisboa a 18 de outubro, SIC Notícias 05.10.2021
Other activities European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), Member (since 2021)Members European Council on Foreign Relations. Aga Khan University, Member of the Chancellor’s Commission (since 2021)Commission Decision on Former Commissioner Carlos Moedas’ post term of office professional activity for the Aga Khan University European Commission, July 5, 2021. Africa Europe Foundation (AEF), Member of the High-Level Group of Personalities on Africa-Europe Relations (since 2020)High-Level Group of Personalities on Africa-Europe Relations Africa Europe Foundation (AEF). Friends of Europe, Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2020)Friends of Europe appoints 29 new members to its Board of Trustees Friends of Europe, press release of June 25, 2020. UNESCO, Member of the Advisory Board of the "Futures of Education" Initiative (since 2019)Decision of the European Commission on Commissioner Carlos Moedas' post term of office professional activity as member of the Advisory Board of the UNESCO "Futures of Education" initiative European Commission, 13 November 2019.Cristina Gonzalez (November 27, 2019), Out of Commission: Team Juncker moves on Politico Europe. Jacques Delors Institute, Vice-President (since 2020), Member of the Board of Directors (since 2019)Cristina Gonzalez (November 27, 2019), Out of Commission: Team Juncker moves on Politico Europe. Re-Imagine Europa, Member of the Advisory Board Re-Imagine Europa.
Electoral history Lisbon City Council election, 2021
! colspan="2" | Party ! Candidate ! align="center" style="width: 50px"| Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|% ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|Seats ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|+/− |- | style="background:;"| | align="left"|PSD/CDS–PP/Alliance/MPT/PPM | align=left |Carlos Moedas || 83,185 || 34.3 || 7 || style="color:green;"| +1 |- | style="background:magenta;"| | align="left"|PS/Livre | align=left |Fernando Medina || 80,907 || 33.3 || 7 || style="color:red;"| –1 |- | style="background:;"| | align="left"| CDU | align=left |João Ferreira || 25,550 || 10.5 || 2 || ±0 |- | style="background:;"| | align="left"| BE | align=left |Beatriz Gomes Dias || 15,057 || 6.2 || 1 || ±0 |- | style="background:#202056;"| | align="left"| Chega | align=left |Nuno Graciano || 10,730 || 4.4 || 0 || new |- | style="background:;"| | align="left"| IL | align=left |Bruno Horta Soares || 10,213 || 4.2 || 0 || new |- | style="background:teal;"| | align="left"| PAN | align=left |Manuela Gonzaga || 6,625 || 2.7 || 0 || ±0 |- | style="background:white;"| | colspan="2" align="left"| Other parties | 3,031 || 1.3 || 0 || ±0 |- | colspan="3" align="left"| Blank/Invalid ballots | 7,445 || 3.1 || – || – |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" | colspan="3" align="left"| Turnout | 242,743 || 50.99 || 17 || ±0 |- | colspan="7" align=left|Source: Autárquicas 2021
Lisbon City Council election, 2025
! colspan="2" | Party ! Candidate ! align="center" style="width: 50px"| Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|% ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|Seats ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|+/− |- | style="background:;"| | align="left"|PSD/CDS–PP/IL | align=left |Carlos Moedas || 110,586 || 41.7 || 8 || style="color:green;"| +1 |- | style="background:;"| | align="left"|PS/Livre/BE/PAN | align=left |Alexandra Leitão || 90,068 || 34.0 || 6 || style="color:red;"| –2 |- | style="background:#202056;"| | align="left"| Chega | align=left |Bruno Mascarenhas || 26,780 || 10.1 || 2 || style="color:green;"| +2 |- | style="background:;"| | align="left"| CDU | align=left |João Ferreira || 26,769 || 10.1 || 1 || style="color:red;"| –1 |- | style="background:white;"| | colspan="2" align="left"| Other parties | 4,291 || 1.6 || 0 || ±0 |- | colspan="3" align="left"| Blank/Invalid ballots | 6,774 || 2.6 || – || – |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" | colspan="3" align="left"| Turnout | 265,268 || 57.22 || 17 || ±0 |- | colspan="7" align=left|Source: Autárquicas 2025
Honours and awards Member of the Portuguese Academy of Engineering (2014) Commander of the Spanish Order of Civil Merit by the King Felipe VI of Spain (2015) Honorary Doctorate in Laws by the University of Cork (2016) University College Cork, "EU Commissioner honoured by UCC" , Honorary Doctorate in Laws by the University of Cork (2016), 4 November 2016 Honorary Doctorate by ESCP Europe - École supérieure de commerce de Paris (2018) Honorary Fellow of the AAS - African Academy of Sciences (2018) Gold Medal from the Portuguese Order of Engineering (2019) University of Coimbra Prize (2020) Honorary Doctorate by the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (2022) Honorary Doctorate by the West University of Timisoara (2022) Knight of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of Pope St Sylvester (2023) Grand Cross of the Order of Infante D. Henrique (2023) Distinguished Citizen of the City of Buenos Aires (2024) Civic Intervention Award from the Order of Engineers (2024) French Legion of Honor Award (2025)
Publications Amaro, N. L., Moedas, C. 2011. O Novo Paradigma do Investimento Imobiliário: Análise e estratégias para um sector-chave da economia. Sabedoria Alternativa Bogers, M., Chesbrough, H., Moedas, C. 2018. Open Innovation: Research, Practices, and Policies. California Management Review, Volume: 60 issue: 2, page(s): 5-16 Moedas, C. "Vento Suão: Portugal e a Europa", Guerra e Paz, Lisboa, 2020.
See also XIX Constitutional Government of Portugal List of Parliament members in Portugal Petros Christodoulou Massimo Tononi
References
External links
Biography on the European Commission website Article on Wall Street Journal by Carlos Moedas Article on Les Echos (French) by Carlos Moedas Article on Science Diplomacy and the European Union Article on California Management Review: Open Innovation: Research, Practices, and Policies by Marcel Bogers, Henry Chesbrough, Carlos Moedas