2014 European Parliament election in Portugal

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.

2014 European Parliament election in Portugal

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All 21 Portuguese seats to the European Parliament
Turnout	33.7% 3.1 pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Francisco Assis Paulo Rangel João Ferreira Party PS AP CDU Alliance S&D EPP GUE/NGL Last election 7 seats, 26.6% 10 seats, 40.1%[1] 2 seats, 10.6% Seats won 8 7[2] 3 Seat change 1 3[3] 1 Popular vote 1,034,249 910,647 416,925 Percentage 31.5% 27.7% 12.7% Swing 4.9 pp 12.4 pp 2.0 pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Marinho e Pinto Marisa Matias Rui Tavares Party MPT BE L Alliance ALDE GUE/NGL Greens/EFA Last election 0 seats, 0.7% 3 seats, 10.7% Did not contest Seats won 2 1 0 Seat change 2 2 New party Popular vote 234,788 149,764 71,495 Percentage 7.2% 4.6% 2.2% Swing 6.5 pp 6.2 pp New party

The Socialist Party (PS) was the winner of the elections, 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 more 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, 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) Aliança Portugal, 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

2014 European Parliament election in Portugal debates
Date	Organisers	Moderator(s)	P  Present    A  Absent invitee  N  Non-invitee
			AP Rangel	PS Assis	BE Matias	CDU Ferreira	MPT Pinto	LIVRE Tavares	Refs
22 May	Antena 1	Maria Flor Pedroso	P	P	P	P	P	P	[11]

Opinion polling

  Exit poll

Polling firm/Link	Fieldwork date	Sample size								O	Lead
2014 EP election	25 May 2014	—	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)	—	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)	—	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)	—	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	—	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

The table below shows voter turnout throughout election day including voters from Overseas.

Turnout	Time
	12:00			16:00			19:00
	2009	2014	±	2009	2014	±	2009	2014	±
Total	11.86%	12.14%	0.28 pp	26.82%	26.31%	0.51 pp	36.78%	33.67%	3.11 pp
Sources[15][16]

National summary of votes and seats

Summary of the results of Portugal's 25 May 2014 election to the European Parliament

National party		European party	Main candidate	Votes	%	+/–	Seats	+/–
	Socialist Party (PS)	PES	Francisco Assis	1,034,249	31.49	4.96	8	1
	Portugal Alliance (AP) • Social Democratic Party (PSD) • People's Party (CDS–PP)	EPP	Paulo Rangel	910,647	27.73	[17]	7 6 1	2 1
	Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) • Communist Party (PCP) • Ecologist Party (PEV)	EGP / PEL	João Ferreira	416,925	12.69	2.05	3 3 0	1 0
	Earth Party (MPT)	ALDE	Marinho e Pinto	234,788	7.15	6.48	2	2
	Left Bloc (B.E.)	PEL / EACL	Marisa Matias	149,764	4.56	6.16	1	2
	LIVRE (L)		Rui Tavares	71,495	2.18	new	0	new
	Party for Animals and Nature (PAN)	EUL-NGL	Orlando Figueiredo	56,431	1.72	new	0	new
	Workers' Communist Party (PCTP/MRPP)	None	Leopoldo Mesquita	54,708	1.67	0.47	0	0
	New Democracy Party (PND)	EUD	Eduardo Welsh	23,082	0.70	new	0	new
	Portuguese Labour Party (PTP)	None	José Manuel Coelho	22,542	0.69	new	0	new
	People's Monarchist Party (PPM)	None	Nuno Correia da Silva	17,785	0.54	0.14	0	0
	National Renovator Party (P.N.R.)	None	Humberto Oliveira	14,887	0.45	0.08	0	0
	Socialist Alternative Movement (MAS)	None	Gil Garcia	12,497	0.38	new	0	new
	Portugal Pro-Life (PPV)	None	Acácio Valente	12,008	0.37	new	0	new
	Democratic Party of the Atlantic (PDA)	None	Paulo Casaca	5,298	0.16	new	0	new
	Workers Party of Socialist Unity (POUS)	None	Carmelinda Pereira	3,666	0.11	0.04	0	0
Valid votes				3,040,771	92.58
Blank and invalid votes				243,681	7.42
Totals				3,284,452	100.00	—	21	1
Electorate (eligible voters) and voter turnout				9,753,568	33.67	3.11
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

Vote share PS   31.49% AP   27.73% CDU   12.69% MPT   7.15% BE   4.56% L   2.18% PAN   1.72% PCTP/MRPP   1.67% PND   0.70% PTP   0.69% PPM   0.54% Others   1.46% Blank/Invalid   7.42%

Seats PS   38.10% AP   33.33% CDU   14.29% MPT   9.52% BE   4.76%

Distribution by European group

Summary of political group distribution in the 8th European Parliament (2014–2019) ^[18]

Groups		Parties	Seats	Total	%
	Party of European Socialists (PES)	Socialist Party (PS)	8	8	38.10
	European People's Party (EPP)	Social Democratic Party (PSD) People's Party (CDS–PP)	6 1	7	33.33
	European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL)	Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) Left Bloc (BE)	3 1	4	19.05
	Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)	Earth Party (MPT)	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

See also

• 2014 European Parliament election
• Politics of Portugal
• List of political parties in Portugal