1989 Portuguese local elections

17 December 1989

All 305 Portuguese municipalities and 4,260 Portuguese Parishes
All 2,002 local government councils
Turnout60.9% Decrease 2.1 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Jorge Sampaio 2.jpg
Cavaco Silva 1988.png
Leader Jorge Sampaio Aníbal Cavaco Silva Álvaro Cunhal
Party PS PSD PCP
Alliance CDU
Last election 79 mayors, 27.4% 149 mayors, 34.2% 47 mayors, 19.4%
Popular vote 1,815,155[1] 1,747,406[2] 656,719
Percentage 36.8% 35.4% 13.3%
Swing Increase 9.4 pp Increase 1.2 pp Decrease 6.1 pp
Mayors 120[3] 114[4] 50
Mayors +/– Increase 41 Decrease 35 Increase 3
Councillors 753[5] 793[6] 258
Councillors +/– Increase 179 Decrease 26 Decrease 45

The Portuguese local elections of 1989 took place on 17 December. The elections consisted of three separate elections in the 305 Portuguese municipalities, the election for the Municipal Chambers, whose winner is elected mayor, 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 4,200 parishes around the country.

For the first time since democracy was restored, the center-left/left-wing parties won a nationwide local election. The Socialist Party won, also for the 1st time, the status of largest local party, a title the Socialists would hold on until 2001, and gained control in many big cities across the country, like Lisbon and Porto.[7] In Lisbon, the PS leader, Jorge Sampaio, in a coalition with CDU, defeated the PSD/CDS candidate, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, by a 49% to 42% margin. The Socialists had a net gain of 41 cities, and won important cities like Guimarães, Coimbra, Faro and Vila Nova de Gaia.

The Social Democrats (PSD), were the big losers of the elections. The party lost its status as the largest local party and suffered heavy losses across the country, particularly in the big cities. The PSD lost a total of 35 cities, although was able to increase its share of the vote to 35%. The results contrast with the landslide election victory the PSD won in the 1987 general elections. Many of Cavaco Silva's government policies such as privatizations, which was creating some unemployment, or the tensions with some workers unions, like the Police protests in April 1989,[8] may have had a negative effect on the PSD chances.

The Democratic Unity Coalition (CDU) gained 3 cities, compared with 1985, and maintained their control in the Alentejo area. Nonetheless, the Communist/Green coalition suffered a big drop in its share of vote, dropping 6% to around 13%. The CDU was able to hold on to their bastions of Beja, Évora and Almada.

The Democratic and Social Centre (CDS), like PSD, had a very poor showing winning 20 cities, a drop of 7 cities. The party lost some important cities to either the PS or PSD, such as Póvoa de Varzim, Leiria and Viseu. At the same time, CDS made several coalitions with the PS in Azores and Madeira, and, together, the PS/CDS coalition won a combined total of 3 cities. Other smaller parties also made gains, like the UDP which gained Machico, Madeira islands, from the PSD

Turnout in these elections was lower compared with 4 years ago—60.9% of the electorate cast a ballot.

Parties

The main political forces involved in the election were:

1 The PS formed coalitions with CDS, CDU and MDP/CDE in several municipalities.
2 The PS formed coalitions with CDS and PPM in some municipalities.

Results

Municipal Councils

National summary of votes and seats

Summary of the 17 December 1989 Municipal Councils elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing Candidacies Councillors Mayors
Total ± Total ±
Socialist 1,599,48332.40Increase5.0728Increase154116Increase37
Social Democratic 1,554,24531.49Decrease2.5780Decrease39113Decrease36
Democratic Unity Coalition 633,69312.84Decrease6.6253Decrease5050Increase3
Democratic and Social Centre 451,1269.14Decrease0.6179Decrease4320Decrease7
PSD / CDS / PPM 193,1613.91131
PS / CDU / MDP/CDE 180,7603.6691
Democratic Renewal 38,5650.78Decrease4.04Decrease350Decrease3
PS / CDS 34,9120.71153
CDU / PRD 23,0260.4750
Portuguese Workers' Communist 21,8190.44Increase0.20Steady00Steady0
People's Democratic Union 15,8760.32Decrease0.34Increase11Increase1
Portuguese Democratic Movement 11,3840.2310
Christian Democratic 7,1890.15Decrease0.11Decrease10Steady0
MDP/CDE / PRD 3,6070.0770
People's Monarchist 2,7680.06Decrease0.41Decrease30Steady0
Left Revolutionary Front 2,4240.0500
CDS / PS 9530.0210
PRD / MDP/CDE 7100.0110
Democratic Party of the Atlantic 3490.0100
Total valid 4,765,968 96.55 Decrease0.4 2,002 Increase27 305 Steady0
Blank ballots 90,1141.83Increase0.3
Invalid ballots 80,3281.63Increase0.1
Total 4,936,410 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 8,110,49360.86Decrease2.1
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições Archived 2014-07-12 at the Wayback Machine

Municipality map

Most voted parties or coalitions in each Municipality. Municipalities won by:
- PSD: 113
- PS: 116
- CDU: 50
- CDS: 20
- UDP: 1
- PSD coalitions: 1
- PS coalitions: 4

City control

The following table lists party control in all district capitals, as well as in municipalities above 100,000 inhabitants. Population estimates from the 1981 Census.[9]

Municipality Population Previous control New control
Almada 147,690 Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
Amadora 163,878 Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
Aveiro 60,284 Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) Democratic and Social Centre (CDS)
Barcelos 103,773 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Beja 38,246 Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
Braga 125,472 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Bragança 35,380 Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) Socialist Party (PS)
Cascais 141,498 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Castelo Branco 54,908 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Coimbra 138,930 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Socialist Party (PS)
Évora 51,572 Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
Faro 45,109 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Socialist Party (PS)
Funchal 112,746 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Gondomar 130,751 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Guarda 40,360 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Guimarães 146,959 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Socialist Party (PS)
Leiria 96,517 Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Lisbon 807,937 Social Democratic Party (PSD) PS / CDU / MDP/CDE
Loures 276,467 Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
Matosinhos 136,498 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Oeiras 149,328 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Ponta Delgada 63,804 Social Democratic Party (PSD) PS / CDS
Portalegre 27,313 Socialist Party (PS) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Porto 327,368 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Socialist Party (PS)
Santarém 62,896 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Santa Maria da Feira 109,531 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Setúbal 98,366 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Sintra 226,428 Social Democratic Party (PSD) PSD / CDS / PPM
Viana do Castelo 81,009 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Vila Nova de Famalicão 106,508 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Vila Nova de Gaia 226,331 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Socialist Party (PS)
Vila Real 47,020 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Viseu 83,261 Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) Social Democratic Party (PSD)

Municipal Assemblies

National summary of votes and seats

Summary of the 17 December 1989 Municipal Assemblies elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing Candidacies Mandates
Total ±
Socialist 1,574,632 31.92 Increase7.6 2,429 Increase633
Social Democratic 1,544,877 31.32 Increase1.7 2,573 Increase98
Democratic Unity Coalition 657,499 13.33 Decrease7.0 849 Decrease207
Democratic and Social Centre 443,731 9.00 Decrease7.2 712 Decrease303
PSD / CDS / PPM 195,249 3.96 41
PS / CDU / MDP/CDE 182,237 3.69 28
Democratic Renewal 41,085 0.83 Decrease4.4 26 Decrease247
PS / CDS 34,043 0.69 41
CDU / PRD 23,456 0.48 18
People's Democratic Union 17,706 0.36 Decrease0.3 14 Steady0
Portuguese Workers' Communist 11,029 0.22 Increase0.1 0 Steady0
Portuguese Democratic Movement 9,239 0.19 6
Christian Democratic 4,250 0.09 Steady0.0 3 Increase1
MDP/CDE / PRD 2,762 0.06 4
People's Monarchist 1,859 0.04 Decrease0.3 2 Decrease5
Democratic Party of the Atlantic 1,355 0.03 1
CDS / PS 982 0.02 4
PRD / MDP/CDE 505 0.01 2
Total valid 4,722,468 96.22 Decrease0.4 6,753 Increase81
Blank ballots 104,2612.12Increase0.2
Invalid ballots 81,4101.66Increase0.2
Total 4,908,139 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 8,211,82159.77Decrease3.4
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições Archived 2017-12-06 at the Wayback Machine

Parish Assemblies

National summary of votes and seats

Summary of the 17 December 1989 Parish Assemblies elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing Candidacies Mandates Presidents
Total ± Total ±
Social Democratic 1,556,50931.69Decrease1.213,237Increase119
Socialist 1,522,65331.00Increase4.011,188Increase2,149
Democratic Unity Coalition 668,60813.61Decrease6.62,925Decrease751
Democratic and Social Centre 397,1648.09Decrease2.43,444Decrease1,087
PSD / CDS / PPM 189,3353.86403
PS / CDU / MDP/CDE 183,4043.73392
Independents 91,5331.86Increase0.51,009Increase212
PS / CDS 32,1090.65181
Democratic Renewal 29,6840.60Decrease2.858Decrease668
People's Democratic Union 24,3240.50Decrease0.130Increase4
CDU / PRD 22,7130.4695
Portuguese Democratic Movement 7,6100.1513
Portuguese Workers' Communist 4,5760.09Steady0.00Steady0
People's Monarchist 1,2470.03Decrease0.09Decrease15
Democratic Party of the Atlantic 1,1620.023
Christian Democratic 1,0680.02Steady0.07Increase3
MDP/CDE / PRD 9520.025
PRD / MDP/CDE 2130.001
Total valid 4,731,554 96.41 Decrease0.2 33,000 Increase1,059
Blank ballots 90,6061.85Increase0.0
Invalid ballots 85,8341.75Increase0.2
Total 4,907,994 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 8,882,93355.25Decrease8.3
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições Archived 2019-10-01 at the Wayback Machine

See also

References

  1. Sum of votes between PS-only lists and lists with other parties.
  2. Sum of votes between PSD-only lists and lists with other parties.
  3. Number of municipalities won between PS-only lists and lists with other parties. PS-only lists: 116; PS-coalition lists: 4.
  4. Number of municipalities won between PSD-only lists and lists with other parties. PSD-only lists: 113; PSD-coalition lists: 1.
  5. Sum of councillors between PS-only lists and lists with other parties.
  6. Sum of councillors between PSD-only lists and lists with other parties.
  7. "As cores políticas que pintam o mapa do poder local de 1976 a 2013". Jornal de Negócios (in Portuguese). 2017.
  8. ""Secos e Molhados" na primeira pessoa: (Re)viver a História". Expresso (in Portuguese). 2016.
  9. "Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Recenseamentos Gerais da População)". www.ine.pt (in Portuguese). Statistics Portugal. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
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