1987 Portuguese legislative election
19 July 1987
250 seats to the Portuguese Assembly
126 seats needed for a majority
Registered7,930,668 Increase1.4%
Turnout5,676,358 (71.6%)
Decrease2.6 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Cavaco Silva 1988.png
Informal Meeting of EU Finance Ministers (26486792252) (cropped).jpg
Leader Aníbal Cavaco Silva Vítor Constâncio Álvaro Cunhal
Party PSD PS PCP
Alliance CDU
Leader since 2 June 1985 29 June 1986 30 September 1987
Leader's seat Lisbon[1] Lisbon[2] Lisbon
Last election 88 seats, 29.9% 57 seats, 20.8% 38 seats, 15.5%
Seats won 148 60 31
Seat change Increase 60 Increase 3 Decrease 7
Popular vote 2,850,784 1,262,506 689,137
Percentage 50.2% 22.2% 12.1%
Swing Increase 20.3 pp Increase 1.4 pp Decrease 3.4 pp
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Ramalho Eanes (1983-09-14) (cropped).png
Adriano Moreira 1962-04-26 (cropped).png
Leader Ramalho Eanes Adriano Moreira
Party PRD CDS–PP
Leader since 29 April 1986 13 April 1986
Leader's seat Lisbon Lisbon
Last election 45 seats, 17.9% 22 seats, 10.0%
Seats won 7 4
Seat change Decrease 38 Decrease 18
Popular vote 278,561 251,987
Percentage 4.9% 4.4%
Swing Decrease 13.0 pp Decrease 5.6 pp
Prime Minister before election

Aníbal Cavaco Silva
PSD

 Prime Minister after election

Aníbal Cavaco Silva
PSD

The 1987 Portuguese legislative election took place on 19 July. The election renewed all 250 members of the Assembly of the Republic.

In the previous election, in 1985, the Social Democratic Party had won a minority government managing to survive in coalition with the Democratic and Social Center and the Democratic Renewal Party, and after the approval of a no-confidence motion from the left-wing parties, with the aid of the Democratic Renewal Party, the government fell. The PS tried to form a new government with the support of the PRD and CDU, but Mário Soares, the President at the time, rejected the idea and called for a new election.[3]

The PSD was reelected in a landslide, winning a majority government with just over 50% of the votes and 148 of the 250 seats, a majority of 46. Not only was this the most seats that a Portuguese party had ever won in a free election, but it was first time since the Carnation Revolution that a single party won an absolute majority. Although the PSD was very popular going into the election, the size of its victory far exceeded the party's most optimistic expectations. The PSD won every district with the exception of Setúbal, Évora and Beja, which voted for the CDU.

The Socialist Party gained a few seats and got a slightly higher share of the vote, 22% compared with the almost 21% in 1985, but the scale of the PSD victory made the party lose most of its influence. Like in 1979, 1980 and 1985, the PS failed to win a single district. The left-wing Democratic Unity Coalition lost some of its MPs to the Socialist Party and the Democratic Renovator Party, now led by former President António Ramalho Eanes, lost almost all of its influence, mainly due to its responsibility in the fall of the former PSD minority government. The right-wing Democratic and Social Center lost almost half of its vote share, due to the effect of tactical voting for the also right-wing, Social Democratic Party.

European elections were held on the same day.

Background

Fall of the government

In the first months of 1987, a trip of a Portuguese parliamentary delegation to the Soviet Union, which also passed by Estonia, a territory that wasn't recognized by Portugal as under Soviet control, created a diplomatic issue that was used by the Opposition to bring down the Cavaco Silva minority government.[4] Parliament approved, by a 134 to 108 vote, a motion of no confidence and the government fell.[5] President Mário Soares refused an alternative PS-PRD-PCP government and decided to dissolve Parliament and call a snap election.[6]

Leadership changes and challenges

CDS 1986 leadership election

The 1985 general election results were quite disappointing for CDS, and then party leader Francisco Lucas Pires resigned from the leadership.[7] Adriano Moreira, supported by the more conservative wings, and João Morais Leitão, supported by the more "centrist" wings of the party, were the two candidates running for the leadership in the April 1986 congress.[8] Adriano Moreira was elected new party leader by a 82-vote difference.[9] The results are the following:

Ballot: 13 April 1986
Candidate Votes %
Adriano Moreira 533 54.2
João Morais Leitão 451 45.8
Turnout 984
Source: Results

PS 1986 leadership election

In the 1985 general election the PS nominated António Almeida Santos, while an internal leadership, head by António Macedo, ruled the party, but the Socialists achieved their worst result ever, just 20.8%.[10] The PS candidate for the Presidency of the Republic, Mário Soares, was narrowly elected to that post by a 51% to 49% margin against Diogo Freitas do Amaral, the candidate supported by CDS and PSD.[11] After that victory, the party called a party congress, for late June 1986, to elect a new leader. There were two candidates on the ballot, Vítor Constâncio and Jaime Gama.[12] Vítor Constâncio was elected as new party leader.[13]

Ballot: 29 June 1986
Candidate Votes %
Vítor Constâncio WIN
Jaime Gama
Turnout
Source:

PRD 1986 leadership election

The Democratic Renewal Party surprised with their excellent results in the 1985 elections, winning almost 18% of the votes.[14] António Ramalho Eanes, the main figure and inspiration for PRD, left the post of President of the Republic in March 1986, and, shortly after in late April, was unanimously elected as the new leader of the PRD, succeeding Hermínio Martinho.[15]

Ballot: 29 April 1986
Candidate Votes %
António Ramalho Eanes Voice vote
Turnout 100.0
Source:

Electoral system

The Assembly of the Republic has 250 members elected to four-year terms. Governments do not require absolute majority support of the Assembly to hold office, as even if the number of opposers of government is larger than that of the supporters, the number of opposers still needs to be equal or greater than 126 (absolute majority) for both the Government's Programme to be rejected or for a motion of no confidence to be approved.[16]

The number of seats assigned to each district depends on the district magnitude.[17] The use of the d'Hondt method makes for a higher effective threshold than certain other allocation methods such as the Hare quota or Sainte-Laguë method, which are more generous to small parties.[18]

For these elections, and compared with the 1985 elections, the MPs distributed by districts were the following:[19]

DistrictNumber of MPsMap
Lisbon56
Porto39
Braga(+1) and Setúbal17
Aveiro15
Santarém12
Leiria and Coimbra11
Viseu10
Faro9
Castelo Branco, Viana do Castelo and Vila Real6
Azores, Beja, Guarda and Madeira5
Bragança and Évora(–1)4
Portalegre3
Europe and Outside Europe2

Parties

The table below lists the parties represented in the Assembly of the Republic during the 4th legislature (1985–1987) and that also partook in the election:

Name Ideology Political position Leader 1985 result
 % Seats
PPD/PSD Social Democratic Party
Partido Social Democrata		 Liberal conservatism
Classical liberalism		 Centre-right Aníbal Cavaco Silva 29.9%
88 / 250
PS Socialist Party
Partido Socialista		 Social democracy Centre-left Vítor Constâncio 20.8%
57 / 250
PRD Democratic Renewal Party
Partido Renovador Democrático		 Centrism
Third Way		 Centre António Ramalho Eanes 17.9%
45 / 250
PCP Portuguese Communist Party
Partido Comunista Português		 Communism
Marxism–Leninism		 Far-left Álvaro Cunhal 15.5%
[lower-alpha 1]
35 / 250
MDP/CDE Portuguese Democratic Movement
Movimento Democrático Português		 Left-wing nationalism
Democratic socialism		 Left-wing José Manuel Tengarrinha
3 / 250
CDS Democratic and Social Centre
Centro Democrático e Social		 Christian democracy
Conservatism		 Centre-right
to right-wing		 Adriano Moreira 10.0%
22 / 250

Campaign period

Party slogans

Party or alliance Original slogan English translation Refs
PSD « Portugal não pode parar » "Portugal can't stop" [20]
PS « A alternativa » "The alternative" [21]
CDU « CDU, É melhor para Portugal » "CDU, It's better for Portugal" [22]
PRD « Agora Portugal » "Now Portugal" [23]
CDS « Vote prá maioria » "Vote for the majority" [24]

Candidates' debates

No debates between the main parties were held as the PSD leader and Prime Minister, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, refused to take part in any debate.[25]

Opinion polling

The following table shows the opinion polls of voting intention of the Portuguese voters before the election. Those parties that are listed were represented in parliament (1985-1987). Included is also the result of the Portuguese general elections in 1985 and 1987 for reference.

  Exit poll

Date Released Polling Firm PSD PS PRD CDU CDS Others Lead
19 Jul 1987 Leg. Election 50.2
148		 22.2
60		 4.9
7		 12.1
31		 4.4
4		 6.2
0		 28.0
19 Jul 1987 RTP1 48.0–50.0 21.0–23.0 5.0–7.0 12.5–14.5 3.0–5.0 – 27.0
19 Jul 1987 Antena1 45.0–47.0 24.0–25.0 – – – – 21.0–22.0
17 Jul 1987 Euroexpansão/Expresso 41.0–44.0 22.0–25.0 11.0–14.0 13.0–15.0 4.0–6.0 – 19.0
9 Oct 1986 Tempo 35.6 24.8 9.2 — 9.8 – 10.8
15 Dec 1985 Local Elections 34.2 27.6 4.7 19.6 9.8 4.1 6.6
6 Oct 1985 Leg. Election 29.9
88		 20.8
57		 17.9
45		 15.5
38		 10.0
22		 5.9
0		 9.1

National summary of votes and seats

Summary of the 19 July 1987 Assembly of the Republic elections results
Parties Votes % ± MPs MPs %/
votes %
1985 1987 ± % ±
Social Democratic 2,850,78450.22Increase20.388148Increase6059.20Increase24.01.18
Socialist 1,262,50622.24Increase1.45760Increase324.00Increase1.21.08
Democratic Unity Coalition[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3] 689,13712.14Decrease3.43831Decrease712.40Decrease2.81.02
Democratic Renewal 278,5614.91Decrease13.0457Decrease382.80Decrease15.20.57
Democratic and Social Centre 251,9874.44Decrease5.6224Decrease181.60Decrease7.20.36
People's Democratic Union 50,7170.89Decrease0.400Steady00.00Steady0.00.0
Revolutionary Socialist 32,9770.58Decrease0.000Steady00.00Steady0.00.0
Portuguese Democratic Movement 32,6070.57——0—0.00—0.0
Christian Democratic 31,6670.56Decrease0.100Steady00.00Steady0.00.0
People's Monarchist 23,2180.41——0—0.00—0.0
Portuguese Workers' Communist 20,8000.37Increase0.100Steady00.00Steady0.00.0
Communist Party (Reconstructed) 18,5440.33Increase0.100Steady00.00Steady0.00.0
Workers Party of Socialist Unity 9,1850.16Decrease0.600Steady00.00Steady0.00.0
Total valid 5,552,690 97.82 Increase0.3 250 250 Steady0 100.00 Steady0.0 —
Blank ballots 50,1350.88Increase0.1
Invalid ballots 73,5331.30Decrease0.4
Total 5,676,358 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 7,930,66871.57Decrease2.6
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições
Vote share
PSD
 
 50.22%
PS
 
 22.24%
CDU
 
 12.14%
PRD
 
 4.91%
CDS
 
 4.44%
UDP
 
 0.89%
PSR
 
 0.58%
MDP
 
 0.57%
PDC
 
 0.56%
Others
 
 1.27%
Blank/Invalid
 
 2.18%
Parliamentary seats
PSD
 
 59.20%
PS
 
 24.00%
CDU
 
 12.40%
PRD
 
 2.80%
CDS
 
 1.60%

Distribution by constituency

Results of the 1987 election of the Portuguese Assembly of the Republic
by constituency
Constituency%S%S%S%S%S Total
S
PSD PS CDU PRD CDS
Azores 66.7 4 20.0 1 2.3 - 3.0 - 3.3 - 5
Aveiro 60.4 11 22.9 4 4.4 - 2.7 - 5.3 - 15
Beja 24.5 1 20.3 1 38.7 3 5.7 - 2.0 - 5
Braga 53.4 10 25.9 5 6.1 1 3.3 - 5.9 1 17
Bragança 60.8 3 19.2 1 3.2 - 1.3 - 7.6 - 4
Castelo Branco 52.1 4 22.4 2 7.1 - 6.0 - 4.7 - 6
Coimbra 50.0 6 28.7 4 7.2 1 3.5 - 4.5 - 11
Évora 32.1 2 15.4 - 36.2 2 7.7 - 2.1 - 4
Faro 46.7 5 24.9 3 10.9 1 6.3 - 3.1 - 9
Guarda 60.0 4 21.8 1 3.3 - 2.0 - 6.6 - 5
Leiria 60.8 9 18.7 2 5.9 - 3.0 - 6.0 - 11
Lisbon 45.8 28 21.2 12 16.5 10 6.9 4 3.7 2 56
Madeira 65.5 4 16.2 1 1.9 - 3.3 - 5.2 - 5
Portalegre 37.4 1 25.1 1 20.9 1 6.3 - 3.1 - 3
Porto 50.9 22 26.7 11 9.4 4 4.0 1 4.0 1 39
Santarém 47.9 7 21.7 3 12.6 1 7.3 1 3.6 - 12
Setúbal 32.6 6 17.6 3 32.7 7 8.7 1 1.9 - 17
Viana do Castelo 54.5 5 20.3 1 6.3 - 4.8 - 7.7 - 6
Vila Real 62.5 5 20.3 1 4.1 - 1.4 - 5.0 - 6
Viseu 64.1 8 17.9 2 2.9 - 1.7 - 7.0 - 10
Europe 37.0 1 28.4 1 15.9 - 4.9 - 6.6 - 2
Outside Europe 63.2 2 7.3 - 1.4 - 1.7 - 19.9 - 2
Total 50.2 148 22.2 60 12.1 31 4.9 7 4.4 4 250
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

Maps

Notes

  1. ↑ The Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) and the Portuguese Democratic Movement (MDP/CDE) contested the 1985 election in a coalition called United People Alliance (APU) and won a combined 15.5% of the vote and elected 39 MPs to parliament.
  2. ↑ Portuguese Communist Party (29 MPs) and "The Greens" (2 MPs) ran in coalition.
  3. ↑ In 1985, as United People Alliance.

References

  1. ↑ Assembleia da República - Deputados e Grupos Parlamentares
  2. ↑ Assembleia da República - Deputados e Grupos Parlamentares
  3. ↑ "1987. Da moção de censura à primeira maioria de Cavaco", Jornal i, 30 August 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  4. ↑ "1987. Da moção de censura à primeira maioria de Cavaco" (in Portuguese). Jornal i. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  5. ↑ "A única moção de censura e as duas moções de rejeição que derrubaram governos" (in Portuguese). Jornal Económico. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  6. ↑ "Crise. Soares dissolveu em 1987. Cavaco não o pode fazer em 2015" (in Portuguese). Jornal i. 16 October 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  7. ↑ "Histórica CDS-PP", CDS-PP. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  8. ↑ "Do CDS ao CDS-PP: o Partido do Centro Democrático Social e o seu papel na política portuguesa", Richard A. H. Robinson, 1996. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  9. ↑ "Adriano Moreira completa hoje 90 anos", TSF, 6 September 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  10. ↑ "Quando o candidato do PS não foi o líder", Diario de Notícias, 3 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  11. ↑ "1986, o ano de "Soares é fixe"", TSF, 7 January 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  12. ↑ "20 Anos Acção Socialista 1978-1998", Socialist Party, 1998. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "Vítor Constâncio (n.1943)", Centro Documentação 25 de Abril. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  14. ↑ "PRD é a surpresa das legislativas de 1985 ", RTP, 8 September 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  15. ↑ "Exclusivo 1986. Eanes assume liderança do PRD", Diario de Notícias, 29 April 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  16. ↑ "Constitution of the Portuguese Republic" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
  17. ↑ "Effective threshold in electoral systems". Trinity College, Dublin. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  18. ↑ Gallaher, Michael (1992). "Comparing Proportional Representation Electoral Systems: Quotas, Thresholds, Paradoxes and Majorities"
  19. ↑ "Eleição da Assembleia da República de 19 de Julho de 1987". CNE - Comissão Nacional de Eleições - Eleição da Assembleia da República de 19 de Julho de 1987. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  20. ↑ "ELEIÇÕES LEGISLATIVAS DE 1987 – PSD". EPHEMERA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  21. ↑ "Evolução da Comunicação Política e Eleitoral em Portugal" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  22. ↑ "ELEIÇÕES LEGISLATIVAS DE 1987 – CDU – AUTOCOLANTES". EPHEMERA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  23. ↑ "Campanha eleitoral do PRD". RTP (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  24. ↑ "ELEIÇÕES LEGISLATIVAS DE 1987 – CDS". EPHEMERA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  25. ↑ "O que mudam os debates na TV". Correio da Manhã (in Portuguese). 4 September 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2020.

Further reading

  • David B. Goldey, "The Portuguese elections of 1987 and 1991 and the presidential election of 1991." Electoral Studies 11.2 (1992): 171–176.

See also

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