2014 European Parliament election in Portugal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An election was held in Portugal on Sunday, 25 May 2014, to elect the Portuguese delegation to the European Parliament from 2014 to 2019. This was the seventh European Parliament election held in Portugal.
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
25 May 2014
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All 21 Portuguese seats to the European Parliament | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnout | 33.7%  3.1 pp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
_(cropped).jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
_(cropped2).png)
.png)
.png)
The Socialist Party (PS) was the winner of the election, scoring 31.5 percent of the votes. The Socialists increased their share of vote by almost 5 percentage points, and won one more seat compared with 2009. However, the PS victory was much weaker than what polls predicted, as the margin between them and the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and CDS – People's Party (CDS) coalition was below 4 points. Because of this worse than expected result, the PS would enter in a leadership contest just weeks after the election.
The PSD/CDS contested the election in a coalition called "Portugal Alliance". The coalition achieved one of the worst results ever for the center-right, as PSD+CDS never polled below 30 percent, but the weak result by the coalition was softened by the close margin between them and the Socialists.
The Democratic Unity Coalition (CDU) scored their best result since 1989, polling almost 13 percent of the vote and winning one more seat compared with 2009. On the other hand, the Left Bloc (BE) suffered a huge defeat by erasing their 2009 historic results. The BE won 4.6 percent of the votes, a drop of more than 6 points, and was only able to elect their top candidate Marisa Matias, compared with the three seats they won in 2009.
The big surprise of the elections was the extraordinary result of the Earth Party (MPT). Headed by the former bar association chairman António Marinho e Pinto, MPT won 7.2 percent of the votes and was able to elect two members to the European Parliament. To add also, that LIVRE, headed by BE dissident Rui Tavares, was not able to win a seat, although scoring 2.2 percent.
Turnout fell to the lowest level ever, with only 33.7 percent of voters casting a ballot.
Electoral system
The voting method used, for the election of European members of parliament, is by proportional representation using the d'Hondt method, which is known to benefit leading parties. In the 2014 European Union elections, Portugal had 21 seats to be filled. Deputies are elected in a single constituency, corresponding to the entire national territory.
Parties and candidates
The major parties that participated in the election, and their European Parliament list leaders, were:
- Left Bloc (BE), Marisa Matias
- Democratic Unity Coalition (CDU), João Ferreira
- Socialist Party (PS), Francisco Assis
- Social Democratic Party (PSD)/People's Party (CDS–PP) Portugal Alliance (AP), Paulo Rangel
- LIVRE (L), Rui Tavares
- Socialist Alternative Movement (MAS), Gil Garcia
- Earth Party (MPT), António Marinho e Pinto
- Party for Animals and Nature (PAN), Orlando Figueiredo
- Portuguese Workers' Communist Party (PCTP/MRPP), Leopoldo Mesquita
- Democratic Party of the Atlantic (PDA), Paulo Casaca
- New Democracy Party (PND), Eduardo Welsh
- National Renovator Party (PNR), Humberto Nuno de Oliveira
- Workers Party of Socialist Unity (POUS), Carmelinda Pereira
- People's Monarchist Party (PPM), Nuno Correia da Silva
- Portugal Pro-Life (PPV), Acácio Valente
- Portuguese Labour Party (PTP), José Manuel Coelho
The Social Democratic Party and the People's Party have contested this election in a coalition.[4]
Campaign period
Party slogans
| Party or alliance | Original slogan | English translation | Refs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | « Na Europa por Portugal » | "In Europe for Portugal" | [5] | |
| PS | « Confiança na Mudança » | "Trust in Change" | [6] | |
| BE | « De Pé! » | "Standing!" | [7] | |
| CDU | « Defender o povo e o País » | "Defending the people and the country" | [8] | |
| MPT | « Mais verdade na política! » | "More truth in politics!" | [9] | |
| LIVRE | « Livre. Para fazer diferente. » | "Free. To do different. » | [10] | |
Candidates' debates
Opinion polling
Exit poll
| Polling firm/Link | Fieldwork date | Sample size |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
O | Lead | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 | ||||||||||
| 2014 EP election | 25 May 2014 | N/a | 27.7 7 |
31.5 8 |
4.6 1 |
12.7 3 |
7.2 2 |
2.2 0 |
14.1 0 |
3.8 | |
| CESOP–UCP | 25 May 2014 (20:00) | N/a | 25–29 6/8 |
30–34 7/9 |
5–7 1/2 |
12–15 3/4 |
7–8 1/2 |
— | — | 5 | |
| Eurosondagem | 25 May 2014 (20:00) | N/a | 25.0–29.2 7/8 |
32.1–36.3 8/9 |
4.2–6.0 1 |
11.4–13.9 3 |
6.6–8.8 1/2 |
— | — | 7.1 | |
| Aximage | 25 May 2014 (20:00) | N/a | 26–30 7/8 |
32–37 8/10 |
4–7 1 |
10–14 3 |
5–9 1 |
— | — | 6–7 | |
| Aximage | 14–22 May 2014 | 1,507 | 30.1 7/9 |
36.4 9/10 |
5.8 1 |
11.4 2/3 |
3.4 0 |
0.6 0 |
12.3 0 |
6.3 | |
| Eurosondagem | 14–20 May 2014 | 2,014 | 29.7 7/8 |
36.9 9/10 |
5.7 1 |
12.5 1 |
— | — | 15.2 0 |
7.2 | |
| CESOP–UCP | 17–19 May 2014 | 2,085 | 30 7/9 |
34 8/10 |
5 1 |
12 2/4 |
3 0/1 |
2 0 |
14 0 |
4 | |
| Pitagórica | 14–18 May 2014 | 505 | 29.1 | 36.6 | 5.5 | 9.4 | 5.6 | — | 13.8 | 7.5 | |
| Aximage | 7–14 May 2014 | 1,027 | 30.2 7/8 |
37.8 9/11 |
6.3 2 |
8.8 1/3 |
4.3 0/1 |
0.8 0 |
11.8 0 |
7.6 | |
| Eurosondagem | 14–22 Apr 2014 | 1,533 | 32.5 8 |
37.5 9/10 |
5.5 1 |
10.9 2/3 |
— | — | 13.6 0 |
5.0 | |
| Aximage | 9–12 Apr 2014 | 613 | 33.2 | 40.9 | 4.9 | 10.8 | — | — | 10.2 | 7.7 | |
| Pitagórica[12] | 25–29 Mar 2014 | 506 | 33.4 | 37.3 | 6.4 | 9.8 | — | — | 13.1 | 3.9 | |
| Eurosondagem | 13–19 Mar 2014 | 1,525 | 32.1 8 |
36.9 9 |
6.6 1 |
11.9 3 |
— | — | 12.5 0 |
4.8 | |
| Aximage | 8–13 Mar 2014 | 755 | 37.4 9 |
39.9 9 |
6.6 1 |
8.2 2 |
— | — | 7.9 0 |
2.5 | |
| Pitagórica[13] | 24 Feb–1 Mar 2014 | 506 | 35.4 | 32.2 | 7.3 | 11.5 | — | — | 13.6 | 3.2 | |
| Pitagórica[14] | 20–24 Jan 2014 | 506 | 34.2 | 30.4 | 9.0 | 10.8 | — | — | 15.6 | 3.8 | |
| Aximage | 7–10 Jan 2014 | 601 | 37.1 | 35.5 | 6.9 | 9.2 | — | — | 11.3 | 1.6 | |
| 2009 EP election | 7 June 2009 | N/a | 31.7 8 |
8.4 2 |
26.5 7 |
10.7 3 |
10.6 2 |
0.7 0 |
— | 11.4 0 |
5.2 |
Voter turnout
Results
 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party and European Parliament group | Votes | % | +/– | Seats | +/– | |||
| Socialist Party | S&D | 1,034,249 | 31.49 | +4.96 | 8 | +1 | ||
| Portugal Alliance | EPP | 910,647 | 27.73 | –12.34 | 7 | –3 | ||
| Unitary Democratic Coalition | GUE/NGL | 416,925 | 12.69 | +2.05 | 3 | +1 | ||
| Earth Party | ALDE | 234,788 | 7.15 | +6.48 | 2 | +2 | ||
| Left Bloc | GUE/NGL | 149,764 | 4.56 | –6.16 | 1 | –2 | ||
| LIVRE | G/EFA | 71,495 | 2.18 | New | 0 | New | ||
| Party for Animals and Nature | GUE/NGL | 56,431 | 1.72 | New | 0 | New | ||
| Portuguese Workers' Communist Party | NI | 54,708 | 1.67 | +0.47 | 0 | 0 | ||
| New Democracy Party | NI | 23,082 | 0.70 | New | 0 | New | ||
| Portuguese Labour Party | NI | 22,542 | 0.69 | New | 0 | New | ||
| People's Monarchist Party | NI | 17,785 | 0.54 | +0.14 | 0 | 0 | ||
| National Renewal Party | NI | 14,887 | 0.45 | +0.08 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Socialist Alternative Movement | NI | 12,497 | 0.38 | New | 0 | New | ||
| Portugal Pro-Life | NI | 12,008 | 0.37 | New | 0 | New | ||
| Democratic Party of the Atlantic | NI | 5,298 | 0.16 | New | 0 | New | ||
| Workers' Party of Socialist Unity | NI | 3,666 | 0.11 | –0.04 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 3,040,772 | 100.00 | – | 21 | –1 | |||
| Valid votes | 3,040,772 | 92.58 | –0.81 | |||||
| Invalid votes | 99,724 | 3.04 | +1.08 | |||||
| Blank votes | 143,957 | 4.38 | –0.27 | |||||
| Total votes | 3,284,453 | 100.00 | – | |||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 9,753,568 | 33.67 | –3.11 | |||||
| Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições[17][18] | ||||||||
Distribution by European group
| Groups | Parties | Seats | Total | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) |
|
8 | 8 | 38.10 | |
| European People's Party (EPP) |
|
6 1 |
7 | 33.33 | |
| European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) |
|
3 1 |
4 | 19.05 | |
| Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) |
|
2 | 2 | 9.52 | |
| Total | 21 | 21 | 100.00 | ||
Maps
Most voted political force by district.
Strongest party by municipality. Pink: PS; Darkblue: PSD-CDS; Red: CDU
