2004 European Parliament election in Portugal
Template:Short description Template:Infobox election An election of MEPs representing Portugal for the 2004-2009 term of the European Parliament was held on 13 June 2004. It was part of the wider 2004 European election.
The Socialist Party (PS) was the big winner of the elections, achieving their best result in a European election ever. The party won 44.5 percent of the votes, an increase of 1.5 percentage points, and held on to the 12 seats won in 1999. However the Socialist victory, and the campaign overall, was overshadowed by the sudden death of the PS top candidate, António Sousa Franco. Sousa Franco died of a heart attack while campaigning in Matosinhos, just four days before election day. António Costa, number 2 on the list, became the Socialists' top candidate after Sousa Franco's death.
The Social Democrats (PSD) and the People's Party (CDS–PP) contested the election in a coalition called "Forward Portugal" (FP). The coalition had a very weak performance, winning just 33 percent of the votes, a big drop compared with the combined total of 39 percent the PSD+CDS had in 1999. The PSD lost two seats, while CDS–PP held on to their two seats.
The Democratic Unity Coalition (CDU) dropped one point and fell below 10 percent of the votes for the first time. CDU was still able to hold on to the two seats they had won in 1999. The Left Bloc (BE) gained a seat for the EU parliament for the first time, and saw its share of vote increase to almost 5 percent, an increase of more than 3 percentage points compared with 1999.
Turnout dropped compared with 1999, with 38.6 percent of voters casting a ballot.
Electoral system
The voting method used for the election of European members of parliament, is proportional representation using the d'Hondt method, which is known to benefit the largest parties slightly. In the 2004 EU elections, Portugal had 24 seats to be filled. Deputies are elected in a single constituency, corresponding to the entire national territory.
Parties and candidates
The major parties that partook in the election, and their EP list leaders, were:<ref>Comissão Nacional de Eleições - Deputados, Mapa Oficial nº 1/2004</ref>
- Left Bloc (BE), Miguel Portas
- Democratic Unity Coalition (CDU), Ilda Figueiredo
- Socialist Party (PS), António Costa<ref>Candidate chosen to lead the Socialist list after the unexpected death of the former head of the list António Sousa Franco.</ref>
- Social Democratic Party (PSD)/People's Party (CDS–PP) Força Portugal, João de Deus Pinheiro
Campaign period
Party slogans
| Party or alliance | Original slogan | English translation | Refs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width="1" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color"| | PS | « Queremos um Portugal melhor » | "We want a better Portugal" | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color"| | FP | « Força Portugal! » | "Forward Portugal!" | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color"| | CDU | « Outro caminho para a Europa e para Portugal » | "Another path for Europe and Portugal" | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color"| | BE | « Estás farto? » | "Had enough?" | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
Candidates' debates
One last debate between the four main candidates was expected to be held on RTP on 10 June, but it was cancelled after the sudden death of the PS lead candidate António Sousa Franco on 9 June. Parties also cut short their campaigns.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
| 2004 European Parliament election in Portugal debates | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Organisers | Moderator(s) | Template:Small Template:Colors Template:Small Template:Colors Template:Small Template:Colors Template:Small | ||||||||||||||||||
| PS Template:Small |
FP Template:Small |
CDU Template:Small |
BE Template:Small |
Refs | |||||||||||||||||
| style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"| | style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"| | style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"| | style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color;"| | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1 June | SIC Notícias | Clara de Sousa | P | P | P | P | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | ||||||||||||||
| 8 June | SIC Notícias | Clara de Sousa | P | P | N | N | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | ||||||||||||||
Opinion polling
| Polling firm/Link | Date Released | 
|
|
|
|
Template:Abbr | Lead | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||||
| style="background:Template:Party color;"| | style="background:Template:Party color;"| | |||||||
| 2004 EP election | 13 June 2004 | 44.5 Template:Font |
33.3 Template:Font |
9.1 Template:Font |
4.9 Template:Font |
8.2 Template:Font |
11.2 | |
| UCP | 13 June 2004 | 43–47 Template:Font |
32–36 Template:Font |
8–10 Template:Font |
4–6 Template:Font |
check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} | 11 | |
| Eurosondagem | 13 June 2004 | 44.1–47.9 Template:Font |
29.7–33.5 Template:Font |
10.1–11.9 Template:Font |
5.1–6.9 Template:Font |
check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} | 14.4 | |
| Intercampus | 13 June 2004 | 42.3–47.1 Template:Font |
30.5–35.1 Template:Font |
7.3–10.1 Template:Font |
4.7–6.9 Template:Font |
check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} | 11.8 12.0 | |
| Aximage | 11 June 2004 | 40.3 | 39.8 | 8.3 | 6.2 | 5.5 | 0.5 | |
| UCP | 11 June 2004 | 44 | 37 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| Eurosondagem | 11 June 2004 | 43.3 | 37.8 | 7.7 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.5 | |
| Intercampus | 11 June 2004 | 42.4 | 27.5 | 12.6 | 6.7 | 10.9 | 14.9 | |
| Marktest | 9 June 2004 | 49.2 | 37.4 | 6.3 | 5.0 | 2.1 | 11.8 | |
| Aximage | 5 June 2004 | 39.2 Template:Font |
34.5 Template:Font |
7.9 Template:Font |
2.4 Template:Font |
16.0 Template:Font |
4.7 | |
| Aximage | 25 May 2004 | 39.5 | 33.6 | 8.3 | 4.0 | 14.6 | 5.9 | |
| TNS Euroteste | 20 May 2004 | 34 | colspan="2" align="center" Template:Party shading/PàF| 34 | 4 | 3 | 25 | Tie | |
| MarktestTemplate:Efn | 19 May 2004 | 49.2 | 34.8 | 8.1 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 14.4 | |
| UCP | 14 May 2004 | 44.3 | 40.7 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 4.4 | 3.6 | |
| Aximage | 7 May 2004 | 40.5 Template:Font |
35.8 Template:Font |
6.1 Template:Font |
3.3 Template:Font |
14.3 Template:Font |
4.7 | |
| Marktest | 29 March 2004 | 54.7 | 34.5 | 5.5 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 20.2 | |
| Eurosondagem | 19 March 2004 | 37.0 Template:Font |
colspan="2" align="center" Template:Party shading/PàF|37.6 Template:Font |
5.8 Template:Font |
4.3 Template:Font |
15.3 Template:Font |
0.6 | |
| Aximage | 7 March 2004 | 39.2 Template:Font |
colspan="2" align="center" Template:Party shading/PàF|39.7 Template:Font |
7.0 Template:Font |
3.7 Template:Font |
10.4 Template:Font |
0.5 | |
| 1999 EP election | 13 June 1999 | 43.1 Template:Font |
31.1 Template:Font |
8.2 Template:Font |
10.3 Template:Font |
1.8 Template:Font |
5.6 Template:Font |
12.0 |
National summary of votes and seats
| colspan=10|
|-
! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:left;" colspan=2 |National party
! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:left;" |European
party
! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:left;" |Main candidate
! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |Votes
! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |%
! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |+/–
! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |Seats
! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |+/–
|- style="text-align:right;"
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" width=5px|
| style="text-align:left;" | Socialist Party (PS)
| style="text-align:left;" | PES
| style="text-align:left;" | António Costa
| 1,516,001
| 44.52
| 1.45 Template:Increase
! 12
| 0 Template:Steady
|- style="text-align:right;"
| style="background-color: #00aaaa" width=5px|
| style="text-align:left;" | Forward Portugal (FP)
• Social Democratic Party (PSD)
• People's Party (CDS–PP)
| style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" | EPP
| style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" | João de Deus Pinheiro
| style="vertical-align:top;" |1,132,769
| style="vertical-align:top;" |33.27
| style="vertical-align:top;" |<ref>The Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the People's Party (CDS–PP) contested separately the 1999 election.</ref>
! 9
7
2
|
2 Template:Decrease
0 Template:Steady
|- style="text-align:right;"
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" width=5px|
| style="text-align:left;" | Democratic Unitarian Coalition (CDU)
• Communist Party (PCP)
• Ecologist Party (PEV)
| style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" | GUE/NGL
| style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" | Ilda Figueiredo
| style="vertical-align:top;" |309,401
| style="vertical-align:top;" |9.09
| style="vertical-align:top;" |1.23 Template:Decrease
! 2
2
0
|
0 Template:Steady
0 Template:Steady
|- style="text-align:right;"
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" width=5px|
| style="text-align:left;" | Left Bloc (BE)
| style="text-align:left;" | EACL
| style="text-align:left;" | Miguel Portas
| 167,313
| 4.91
| 3.12 Template:Increase
! 1
| 1 Template:Increase
|- align="right"
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" width=5px|
| style="text-align:left;" | Workers' Communist Party (PCTP/MRPP)
| style="text-align:left;" | None
| style="text-align:left;" | António Garcia Pereira
| 36,294
| 1.07
| 0.19 Template:Increase
! 0
| 0 Template:Steady
|- align="right"
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" width=5px|
| align="left"| New Democracy Party (PND)
| align="left"| None
| align="left"| Manuel Monteiro
| 33,833
| 0.99
| new
! 0
| new
|- align="right"
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" width=5px|
| align="left"| People's Monarchist Party (PPM)
| align="left"| ECPM
| align="left"| Gonçalo da Câmara Pereira
| 15,454
| 0.45
| 0.02 Template:Decrease
! 0
| 0 Template:Steady
|- align="right"
| style="background-color: yellow" width=5px|
| align="left"| Movement for the Sick (MD)
| align="left"| None
| align="left"| Vitorino Brandão
| 13,840
| 0.41
| new
! 0
| new
|- style="text-align:right;"
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" width=5px|
| align="left"| Earth Party (MPT)
| align="left"| ALDE
| align="left"| Luís Filipe Marques
| 13,671
| 0.40
| 0.00 Template:Steady
! 0
| 0 Template:Steady
|- align="right"
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" width=5px|
| align="left"| Humanist Party (PH)
| align="left"| None
| align="left"| -
| 13,272
| 0.39
| new
! 0
| new
|- align="right"
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" width=5px|
| align="left"| National Renovator Party (P.N.R.)
| align="left"| None
| align="left"| Paulo Rodrigues
| 8,405
| 0.25
| new
! 0
| new
|- align="right"
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" width=5px|
| align="left"| Democratic Party of the Atlantic (PDA)
| align="left"| None
| align="left"| José Soares
| 5,588
| 0.16
| 0.01 Template:Increase
! 0
| 0 Template:Steady
|- align="right"
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" width=5px|
| align="left"| Workers Party of Socialist Unity (POUS)
| align="left"| None
| align="left"| Carmelinda Pereira
| 4,275
| 0.13
| 0.03 Template:Decrease
! 0
| 0 Template:Steady
|- align="right"
|- style="background-color:#E9E9E9"
| style="text-align:right;" colspan="4" | Valid votes
| 3,270,116
| 96.04
| colspan="3" rowspan="2" |
|- style="background-color:#E9E9E9"
| style="text-align:right;" colspan="4" | Blank and invalid votes
| 134,666
| 3.96
|- style="background-color:#E9E9E9"
| style="text-align:right;" colspan="4" | Totals
| 3,404,782
| 100.00
| —
! style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|24
| 1 Template:Decrease
|- style="background-color:#E9E9E9"
| colspan="4" | Electorate (eligible voters) and voter turnout
| 8,821,456
| 38.60
| 1.33 Template:Decrease
| colspan="2"|
|-
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="11" | Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições Template:Webarchive
|-
|}
Template:Bar box
Template:Bar box
Distribution by European group
| CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | |||||
| Groups | Parties | Seats | Total | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color"| | Party of European Socialists (PES) | Template:Smalldiv | 12 | 12 | 50.00 |
| width="1" style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color"| | European People's Party–European Democrats (EPP–ED) | Template:Smalldiv | 7 2 |
9 | 37.50 |
| style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color"| | European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) | Template:Smalldiv | 2 1 |
3 | 12.50 |
| Total | 24 | 24 | 100.00 | ||
Maps
-
-
Strongest party by municipality. Pink: PS; Darkblue: PSD-CDS; Red: CDU
Notes
References
External links
- Results according to the Portuguese Electoral Commission of the 13 June 2004 election of the 24 delegates from Portugal to the European Parliament Template:Webarchive
See also
- Politics of Portugal
- List of political parties in Portugal
- Elections in Portugal
- European Parliament
Template:European Parliament elections Template:Portuguese elections