# 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.
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.

## Campaign period
### Party slogans

| Party or alliance | Original slogan | English translation |
| AP | « Na Europa por Portugal » | "In Europe for Portugal" |
| PS | « Confiança na Mudança » | "Trust in Change" |
| BE | « De Pé! » | "Standing!" |
| CDU | « Defender o povo e o País » | "Defending the people and the country" |
| MPT | « Mais verdade na política! » | "More truth in politics!" |
| LIVRE | « Livre. Para fazer diferente. » | "Free. To do different. » |

### Candidates' debates

2014 European Parliament election in Portugal debates :
| Date | Organisers | Moderator(s) | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee | P Present  A Absent invitee N Non-invitee |
| Date | Organisers | Moderator(s) | 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 | |

## Opinion polling

| Date released | Polling Firm | Sample size | | | | | | | Others | Lead |
| 25 May | Election result | 3,284,452 | 27.7 7 seats | 31.5 8 seats | 4.6 1 seat | 12.7 3 seats | 7.2 2 seat | 2.2 0 seats | 14.1 0 seats | 3.8 |
| 25 May (20:00) | Exit Poll – RTP1 Universidade Católica | — | 25.0–29.0 6 / 8 | 30.0–34.0 7 / 9 | 5.0–7.0 1 / 2 | 12.0–15.0 3 / 4 | 7.0–8.0 1 / 2 | — | — | 5.0 |
| 25 May (20:00) | Exit Poll – SIC Eurosondagem | — | 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 |
| 25 May (20:00) | Exit Poll – TVI24 Aximage | — | 26.0–30.0 7 / 8 | 32.0–37.0 8 / 10 | 4.0–7.0 1 | 10.0–14.0 3 | 5.0–9.0 1 | — | — | 6.0 7.0 |
| Exit polls |||||||||||
| 14–22 May | Aximage Seat projection | 1,507 | 30.1 7 / 9 | 36.4 9 / 10 | 5.8 1 | 11.4 2 / 3 | 3.4 – | 0.6 – | 12.3 – | 6.3 |
| 14–20 May | Eurosondagem Seat projection | 2,014 | 29.7 7 / 8 | 36.9 9 / 10 | 5.7 1 | 12.5 3 | — | — | 15.2 – | 7.2 |
| 17–19 May | Universidade Católica Seat projection | 2,085 | 30.0 7 / 9 | 34.0 8 / 10 | 5.0 1 | 12.0 2 / 4 | 3.0 0 / 1 | 2.0 – | 14.0 – | 4.0 |
| 14–18 May | Pitagórica | 505 | 29.1 | 36.6 | 5.5 | 9.4 | 5.6 | — | 13.8 | 7.5 |
| 7–14 May | Aximage Seat projection | 1,027 | 30.2 7 / 8 | 37.8 9 / 11 | 6.3 2 / 2 | 8.8 1 / 3 | 4.3 0 / 1 | 0.8 – | 11.8 – | 7.6 |
| 14–22 Apr | Eurosondagem Seat projection | 1,533 | 32.5 8 | 37.5 9 / 10 | 5.5 1 | 10.9 2 / 3 | — | — | 13.6 – | 5.0 |
| 9–12 Apr | Aximage | 613 | 33.2 | 40.9 | 4.9 | 10.8 | — | — | 10.2 | 7.7 |
| 25–29 Mar | Pitagórica | 506 | 33.4 | 37.3 | 6.4 | 9.8 | — | — | 13.1 | 3.9 |
| 13–19 Mar | Eurosondagem Seat projection | 1,525 | 32.1 8 | 36.9 9 | 6.6 1 | 11.9 3 | — | — | 12.5 – | 4.8 |
| 8–13 Mar | Aximage Seat projection | 755 | 37.4 9 | 39.9 9 | 6.6 1 | 8.2 2 | — | — | 7.9 – | 2.5 |
| 24 Feb–1 Mar | Pitagórica | 506 | 35.4 | 32.2 | 7.3 | 11.5 | — | — | 13.6 | 3.2 |
| 20–24 Jan | Pitagórica | 506 | 34.2 | 30.4 | 9.0 | 10.8 | — | — | 15.6 | 3.8 |
| 7–10 Jan | Aximage | 601 | 37.1 | 35.5 | 6.9 | 9.2 | — | — | 11.3 | 1.6 |
| 2014 |||||||||||
| 7 June 2009 | Election results | 3,568,943 | 40.1$^1$ 10 seats | 26.5 7 seats | 10.7 3 seats | 10.6 2 seats | 0.7 0 seats | — | 11.4 0 seats | 13.6 |
| $^1$ Sum of votes and seats of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and of the People's Party (CDS–PP). |||||||||||

## Voter turnout

The table below shows voter turnout throughout election day including voters from Overseas.
| Turnout | Time | Time | Time | Time | Time | Time | Time | Time | Time |
| Turnout | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 |
| Turnout | 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 ||||||||||

## National summary of votes and seats

Summary of the results of Portugal's 25 May 2014 election to the European Parliament :
| National party | 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 | | 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 | Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 3,040,771 | 92.58 | | | |
| Blank and invalid votes | Blank and invalid votes | Blank and invalid votes | Blank and invalid votes | 243,681 | 7.42 | | | |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | 3,284,452 | 100.00 | — | 21 | 1 |
| Electorate (eligible voters) and voter turnout | Electorate (eligible voters) and voter turnout | Electorate (eligible voters) and voter turnout | 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) :
| Groups | 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 | Total | Total | 21 | 21 | 100.00 |

### Maps

* Most voted political force by district.
* Strongest party by municipality. Pink: PS; Darkblue: PSD-CDS; Red: CDU