# 1987 European Parliament election in Portugal

A European Parliament election was held in Portugal on 19 July 1987. It was the election of all 24 MEPs representing the Portugal constituency for the remainder of the 1984–1989 term of the European Parliament. Portugal had acceded to the European Community on 1 January 1986 and had been represented in the European Parliament by 24 appointed delegates until elections could be held. These elections took place on the same day of the legislative elections of 1987.
The Social Democrats (PSD) won the 1st European election by a landslide over the Socialists. The PSD won more than 37 percent of the votes, 15 points ahead of the PS. Note that a large chunk of the PSD vote in the 1987 legislative elections, held simultaneously with the European election, was from CDS voters that voted PSD in the general election and CDS in the EU elections. Nonetheless, the CDS won 15 percent of the votes, compared with the 4 percent in the general election ballot. Together, the center-right parties won 53 percent of the votes.
The Socialists, headed by former PM Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, suffered a huge defeat, polling just 22 percent, matching their general election score. The Communist/Green alliance, Democratic Unity Coalition, polled 4th place and won 11.5 percent of the votes. Finally, the Democratic Renewal Party (PRD), also suffered a very heavy defeat, winning just 4 percent of the votes and electing a sole member for the EU Parliament.
Turnout in these elections was quite high, with 72.4 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 1987 EU election, 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:
* Democratic Unity Coalition (CDU), Ângelo Veloso
* Socialist Party (PS), Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo
* Democratic Renewal Party (PRD), José Medeiros Ferreira
* Social Democratic Party (PSD), Pedro Santana Lopes
* Democratic and Social Centre (CDS), Francisco Lucas Pires

## Campaign period
### Party slogans

| Party or alliance | Original slogan | English translation |
| PSD | « Juntos vamos ganhar » | "Together we will win" |
| PS | « Portugal para todos » | "Portugal for all" |
| CDS | « Na hora Europeia » | "In European time" |
| CDU | « Para defender Portugal » | "To defend Portugal" |
| PRD | « Mais Portugal » | "More Portugal" |

## National summary of votes and seats

Summary of the results of Portugal's 19 July 1987 election to the European Parliament :
| National party | National party | European party | Main candidate | Votes | % | Seats |
| | Social Democratic Party (PSD) | LDR | Pedro Santana Lopes | 2,111,828 | 37.45 | 10 |
| | Socialist Party (PS) | PES | Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo | 1,267,672 | 22.48 | 6 |
| | Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) | EPP | Francisco Lucas Pires | 868,718 | 15.40 | 4 |
| | Democratic Unitarian Coalition (CDU) • Communist Party (PCP) • Ecologist Party (PEV) | COM | Ângelo Veloso | 648,700 | 11.50 | 3 3 0 |
| | Democratic Renewal Party (PRD) | EDA | José Medeiros Ferreira | 250,158 | 4.44 | 1 |
| | People's Monarchist Party (PPM) | None | Miguel Esteves Cardoso | 155,990 | 2.77 | 0 |
| | People's Democratic Union (UDP) | None | | 52,835 | 0.94 | 0 |
| | Christian Democratic Party (PDC) | None | | 40,812 | 0.72 | 0 |
| | Revolutionary Socialist Party (PSR) | None | | 29,009 | 0.51 | 0 |
| | Portuguese Democratic Movement (MDP/CDE) | None | | 27,678 | 0.49 | 0 |
| | Communist Party (Reconstructed) (PC(R)) | None | | 24,060 | 0.43 | 0 |
| | Workers' Communist Party (PCTP/MRPP) | None | | 19,475 | 0.35 | 0 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 5,496,935 | 97.45 | |
| Blank and invalid votes | Blank and invalid votes | Blank and invalid votes | Blank and invalid votes | 142,715 | 2.53 | |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | 5,639,650 | 100.00 | 24 |
| Electorate (eligible voters) and voter turnout | Electorate (eligible voters) and voter turnout | Electorate (eligible voters) and voter turnout | Electorate (eligible voters) and voter turnout | 7,787,603 | 72.42 | |
| Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições |||||||
Vote share
PSD
37.45%
PS
22.48%
CDS
15.40%
CDU
11.50%
PRD
4.44%
PPM
2.77%
UDP
0.92%
PDC
0.72%
PSR
0.51%
Others
1.29%
Blank/Invalid
2.53% :
Seats
PSD
41.67%
PS
25.00%
CDS
16.67%
CDU
12.50%
PRD
4.17% :

### Distribution by European group

Summary of political group distribution in the 2nd European Parliament (1984–1989) :
| Groups | Groups | Parties | Seats | Total | % |
| | Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (LDR) | Social Democratic Party (PSD) | 10 | 10 | 41.67 |
| | Socialist Group (SOC) | Socialist Party (PS) | 6 | 6 | 25.00 |
| | European People's Party (EPP) | Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) | 4 | 4 | 16.67 |
| | Communists and Allies (COM) | Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) | 3 | 3 | 12.50 |
| | European Democratic Alliance (EDA) | Democratic Renewal Party (PRD) | 1 | 1 | 4.17 |
| Total | Total | Total | 24 | 24 | 100.00 |

### Maps

* Most voted political force by district. (Azores and Madeira not shown)
* Most voted political force by municipality.