2009 Portuguese local elections
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Local elections were held in Portugal on 11 October 2009. The elections consisted of three separate elections in the 308 Portuguese municipalities, the election for the Municipal Chambers, another election for the Municipal Assembly and a last one for the lower-level Parish Assembly, whose winner is elected parish president. This last was held separately in the more than 4,000 parishes around the country. The elections took place just two weeks after the 2009 legislative election.
_(cropped).jpg)
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 October 2009
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All 308 Portuguese municipalities and 4,260 Portuguese Parishes All 2,078 local government councils | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opinion polls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 59.0%  2.0 pp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.png)
.jpg)
The elections resulted in a very close outcome between the Socialist Party and the Social Democratic Party, in which the Social Democrats lost almost 20 municipalities and also lost a considerable number of councilors. The Socialists, despite despite being second in the number of mayors elected, were the party with the largest number of elected councilors, a situation that had not occurred since 1989. The Socialists won also a decisive victory in Lisbon where the incumbent mayor, António Costa, defeated the former mayor and Prime Minister Pedro Santana Lopes by a clear margin, 44 to 39 percent.
The Social Democratic Party (PSD) lost some municipalities to the Socialists, but they did held on to municipalities like Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Sintra and Coimbra. The People's Party held on to their sole municipality, Ponte de Lima, continuing its decline in local politics, despite running in several coalitions with the PSD.
On the left, the Democratic Unitarian Coalition, led by the Communist Party, obtained their worst result in history, winning less than 10 percent of the vote and losing 4 municipalities including Beja and Évora. The Left Bloc kept the presidency of its single municipality, Salvaterra de Magos.
The election was again marked by several victories of independent candidates, most of them former Socialist, Social Democratic candidates who were expelled or given no confidence by their respective parties, due to corruption accusations, and were still re-elected as mayors. The best known were Valentim Loureiro in Gondomar and Isaltino Morais in Oeiras. On the other hand, Fátima Felgueiras, independent candidate in Felgueiras, suffered a surprised defeat by the Social Democratic candidate after winning the election in 2005 with more than 47 percent of the vote.
Turnout in these election was the lowest in local election, as only 59 percent of the electorate cast a ballot, although the number of ballots cast in the election was the highest ever in local elections.
Background
Electoral system
All 308 municipalities are allocated a certain number of councilors to elect corresponding to the number of registered voters in a given municipality. 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. Unlike in national legislative elections, independent lists are allowed to run.[1] Changes to the electoral registration system, approved in 2008, which made registration automatic based on each voter's Identity card, led to a significant increase in the number of registered voters, from 8,8 million in 2005 to 9,4 million in 2009.[2]
By-elections (2005–2009)
During the normal four-year term of local governments, one municipal council by-election was held in the municipality of Lisbon on 15 July 2007, after the then mayor Carmona Rodrigues (PSD) lost the support of his own party, following corruption investigations,[3] and all PSD councillors resigned, prompting the fall of the local administration.[4][5] The by-election resulted in a victory for the PS, which thus regained control of the Lisbon City Council with approximately 29% of the vote and 6 councillors, while the PSD fell to third place with only 16% of the vote. The ousted mayor, Carmona Rodrigues, came in second place with almost 17%, leading an independent list.[6] Adding to this, twenty-five parishes also held a by-election for parish assemblies.[7]
| Date | Municipality | Population | Previous control | New control | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 July 2007 | Lisbon | 564,657 | Social Democratic Party (PSD) | Socialist Party (PS) | ||
Parties
The main political forces involved in the election were:
- Left Bloc (BE)
- CDS – People's Party (CDS–PP) (only in some municipalities)1
- Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
- Socialist Party (PS)
- Social Democratic Party (PSD) (only in some municipalities)1
1 The PSD and the CDS–PP also formed coalitions in several municipalities with the Earth Party (MPT) and the People's Monarchist Party (PPM).
Opinion polling
■ - PSD
■ - PS
■ - PSD/CDS–PP
■ - CDS–PP
■ - Independents
■ - CDU
■ - No polls
Voter turnout
Results
Municipal Councils
National summary of votes and seats
| Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Candidacies | Councillors | Mayors | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | ± | Total | ± | |||||||
| Socialist | 2,084,382 | 37.67 |  1.8 | 307 | 921 | 29 | 132 | 23 | ||
| Social Democratic | 1,270,137 | 22.95 | 5.3 | 237 | 666 | 76 | 117 | 21 | ||
| Democratic Unity Coalition | 539,694 | 9.75 | 1.2 | 300 | 174 | 29 | 28 | 4 | ||
| Social Democratic / People's | 537,247 | 9.71 | 0.5 | 55 | 157 | 21 | 19 | 1 | ||
| Independents | 225,379 | 4.07 | 1.7 | 49 | 67 | 31 | 7 |  0 | ||
| People's | 171,049 | 3.09 | 0.0 | 159 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Left Bloc | 167,101 | 3.02 | 0.0 | 133 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||
| PSD / CDS–PP / MPT / PPM | 164,051 | 2.96 | — | 6 | 22 | — | 1 | — | ||
| PSD / CDS–PP / PPM | 99,838 | 1.80 | 0.1 | 5 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||
| PSD / CDS–PP / PPM / MPT | 69,584 | 1.26 | 0.1 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Portuguese Workers' Communist | 14,275 | 0.26 | 0.0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Earth | 11,069 | 0.20 | 0.2 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| New Democracy | 6,946 | 0.13 | 0.1 | 4 | 1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Hope for Portugal Movement | 1,975 | 0.04 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | — | ||
| PSD / CDS–PP / MPT | 1,709 | 0.03 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Merit and Society Movement | 1,569 | 0.03 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 0 | — | ||
| People's Monarchist | 1,461 | 0.03 | 0.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| National Renovator | 1,202 | 0.02 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Labour | 732 | 0.01 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | — | ||
| People's / Earth | 165 | 0.00 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | — | ||
| People's / People's Monarchist | 156 | 0.00 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | — | ||
| Total valid | 5,369,721 | 97.03 | 1.3 |
— | 2,078 | 32 |
308 | 0 | ||
| Blank ballots | 94,983 | 1.72 | 0.9 | |||||||
| Invalid ballots | 69,120 | 1.25 | 0.5 | |||||||
| Total | 5,533,824 | 100.00 | ||||||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 9,377,343 | 59.01 | 2.0 | |||||||
| Source:[11][12] | ||||||||||
Municipality map
.png)
■ - PSD: 117
■ - PS: 132
■ - CDU: 28
■ - BE: 1
■ - CDS–PP: 1
■ - PSD coalitions: 22
■ - Independents: 7
City control
The following table lists party control in all district capitals, highlighted in bold, as well as in municipalities above 100,000 inhabitants. Population estimates from the 2001 Census.[8]
Municipal Assemblies
National summary of votes and seats
| Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Candidacies | Mandates | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | ± | |||||||||
| Socialist | 2,028,681 | 36.67 | 1.0 |
306 | 2,855 | 61 | ||||
| Social Democratic | 1,226,283 | 22.16 | 4.8 |
235 | 2,124 | 292 | ||||
| Democratic Unity Coalition | 588,011 | 10.63 | 1.1 |
301 | 651 | 71 | ||||
| Social Democratic / People's | 515,145 | 9.31 | 0.9 |
54 | 522 | 115 | ||||
| Left Bloc | 231,089 | 4.18 | 0.2 |
141 | 139 | 25 | ||||
| Independents | 204,491 | 3.70 | 1.6 |
46 | 224 | 103 | ||||
| People's | 195,635 | 3.54 | 0.2 |
142 | 253 | 63 | ||||
| PSD / CDS–PP / MPT / PPM | 162,016 | 2.93 | — | 6 | 65 | — | ||||
| PSD / CDS–PP / PPM | 98,414 | 1.78 | 0.1 |
5 | 60 | 13 | ||||
| PSD / CDS–PP / PPM / MPT | 63,554 | 1.15 | 0.1 |
2 | 22 | 5 | ||||
| Earth | 11,144 | 0.20 | 0.2 |
18 | 14 | 14 | ||||
| Portuguese Workers' Communist | 7,421 | 0.13 | 0.1 |
9 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| New Democracy | 7,341 | 0.13 | 0.1 |
3 | 5 | 4 | ||||
| Hope for Portugal Movement | 4,898 | 0.09 | — | 3 | 0 | — | ||||
| Merit and Society Movement | 1,755 | 0.03 | — | 3 | 0 | — | ||||
| National Renovator | 1,739 | 0.03 | — | 2 | 0 | — | ||||
| PSD / CDS–PP / MPT | 1,627 | 0.03 | 0.0 |
1 | 6 | 0 | ||||
| People's Monarchist | 1,338 | 0.02 | 0.0 |
3 | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Labour | 826 | 0.01 | — | 2 | 0 | — | ||||
| People's / Earth | 252 | 0.00 | — | 1 | 0 | — | ||||
| People's / People's Monarchist | 205 | 0.00 | — | 1 | 1 | — | ||||
| Total valid | 5,351,865 | 96.72 | 1.3 |
— | 6,946 | 60 | ||||
| Blank ballots | 110,169 | 1.99 | 0.9 | |||||||
| Invalid ballots | 70,805 | 1.28 | 0.4 | |||||||
| Total | 5,532,839 | 100.00 | ||||||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 9,377,343 | 59.00 | 2.0 | |||||||
| Source:[11][14] | ||||||||||
Parish Assemblies
National summary of votes and seats
| Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Candidacies | Mandates | Presidents | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | ± | Total | ± | |||||||
| Socialist | 2,002,955 | 36.27 | 0.8 |
3,573 | 13,736 | 253 |
1,577 | 59 | ||
| Social Democratic | 1,237,322 | 22.41 | 4.2 |
2,694 | 11,113 | 1,338 |
1,530 | 193 | ||
| Democratic Unity Coalition | 606,004 | 10.97 | 1.1 |
2,269 | 2,266 | 289 |
213 | 31 | ||
| Social Democratic / People's | 508,264 | 9.20 | 1.6 |
744 | 2,911 | 847 |
312 | 93 | ||
| Independents | 337,613 | 6.12 | 1.6 |
735 | 2,673 | 473 |
332 | 40 | ||
| Left Bloc | 163,252 | 2.96 | 0.3 |
645 | 235 | 6 |
4 | 1 | ||
| PSD / CDS–PP / MPT / PPM | 161,368 | 2.92 | — | 91 | 384 | — | 31 | — | ||
| People's | 128,947 | 2.33 | 0.4 |
712 | 693 | 129 |
53 | 12 | ||
| PSD / CDS–PP / PPM | 96,927 | 1.76 | 0.2 |
109 | 405 | 0 |
36 | 2 | ||
| PSD / CDS–PP / PPM / MPT | 62,206 | 1.13 | 0.7 |
36 | 168 | 48 |
15 | 4 | ||
| Earth | 8,400 | 0.15 | 0.1 |
56 | 47 | 24 |
2 | 1 | ||
| Portuguese Workers' Communist | 3,329 | 0.06 | 0.0 |
24 | 0 | 0 |
0 | 0 | ||
| Merit and Society Movement | 1,801 | 0.03 | — | 10 | 0 | — | 0 | — | ||
| New Democracy | 1,693 | 0.03 | 0.1 |
8 | 3 | 3 |
0 | 0 | ||
| PSD / CDS–PP / MPT | 1,532 | 0.03 | 0.0 |
11 | 29 | 3 |
2 | 0 | ||
| People's Monarchist | 716 | 0.01 | 0.1 |
10 | 3 | 3 |
0 | 0 | ||
| People's / Earth | 542 | 0.01 | — | 4 | 3 | — | 0 | — | ||
| Labour | 346 | 0.01 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 0 | — | ||
| National Renovator | 276 | 0.00 | 0.0 |
4 | 0 | 0 |
0 | 0 | ||
| People's / People's Monarchist | 152 | 0.00 | — | 1 | 3 | — | 0 | — | ||
| Total valid | 5,323,645 | 96.41 | 1.1 |
— | 34,672 | — | 4,107 | — | ||
| Blank ballots | 116,240 | 2.10 | 0.7 | |||||||
| Invalid ballots | 82,475 | 1.49 | 0.4 | |||||||
| Total | 5,522,360 | 100.00 | ||||||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 9,360,830 | 58.99 | 1.9 | |||||||
| Source:[11][15] | ||||||||||