1989 Portuguese local elections

Local elections were held in Portugal on 17 December 1989. The elections consisted of three separate elections in the 305 Portuguese municipalities, the election for the Municipal Chambers, whose winner is automatically elected mayor, similar to first-past-the-post (FPTP), 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.

1989 Portuguese local elections

← 1985 17 December 1989 1993 →

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
 
Jorge Sampaio 2.jpg
Cavaco Silva 1988.png
Leader Jorge Sampaio Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Party PS PSD
Last election 79 mayors, 27.4% 149 mayors, 34.2%
Popular vote 1,815,155[1] 1,747,406[2]
Percentage 36.8% 35.4%
Swing Increase 9.4 pp Increase 1.2 pp
Mayors 120[3] 114[4]
Mayors +/– Increase 41 Decrease 35
Councillors 753[5] 793[6]
Councillors +/– Increase 179 Decrease 26

  Third party Fourth party
 
Alvaro Cunhal 1980 (cropped).jpg
Freitas do Amaral, XV Cimeira Ibero-Americana - Salamanca, Espanha.jpg
Leader Álvaro Cunhal Diogo Freitas do Amaral
Party PCP CDS
Alliance CDU
Last election 47 mayors, 19.4% 27 mayors, 9.8%
Popular vote 656,719 452,079[7]
Percentage 13.3% 9.2%
Swing Decrease 6.1 pp Decrease 0.3 pp
Mayors 50 20
Mayors +/– Increase 3 Decrease 7
Councillors 258 180[8]
Councillors +/– Decrease 45 Decrease 42

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.[9] 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 percent 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 percent. 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,[10] 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 points to around 13 percent. 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, with 60.9 percent of the electorate casting a ballot.

Parties

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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

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Municipal Councils

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National summary of votes and seats

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Summary of the 17 December 1989 Municipal Councils elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing Candidacies Councillors Mayors
Total ± Total ±
Socialist 1,599,483 32.40  5.0 728  154 116  37
Social Democratic 1,554,245 31.49  2.5 780  39 113  36
Democratic Unity Coalition 633,693 12.84  6.6 253  50 50  3
Democratic and Social Centre 451,126 9.14  0.6 179  43 20  7
PSD / CDS / PPM 193,161 3.91 13 1
PS / CDU / MDP/CDE 180,760 3.66 9 1
Democratic Renewal 38,565 0.78  4.0 4  35 0  3
PS / CDS 34,912 0.71 15 3
CDU / PRD 23,026 0.47 5 0
Portuguese Workers' Communist 21,819 0.44  0.2 0  0 0  0
People's Democratic Union 15,876 0.32  0.3 4  1 1  1
Portuguese Democratic Movement 11,384 0.23 1 0
Christian Democratic 7,189 0.15  0.1 1  1 0  0
MDP/CDE / PRD 3,607 0.07 7 0
People's Monarchist 2,768 0.06  0.4 1  3 0  0
Left Revolutionary Front 2,424 0.05 0 0
CDS / PS 953 0.02 1 0
PRD / MDP/CDE 710 0.01 1 0
Democratic Party of the Atlantic 349 0.01 0 0
Total valid 4,765,968 96.55  0.4 2,002  27 305  0
Blank ballots 90,114 1.83  0.3
Invalid ballots 80,328 1.63  0.1
Total 4,936,410 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 8,110,493 60.86  2.1
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições Archived 2014-07-12 at the Wayback Machine

Municipality map

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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

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The following table lists party control in all district capitals, highlighted in bold, as well as in municipalities above 100,000 inhabitants. Population estimates from the 1981 Census.[11]

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

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National summary of votes and seats

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Summary of the 17 December 1989 Municipal Assemblies elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing Candidacies Mandates
Total ±
Socialist 1,574,632 31.92  7.6 2,429  633
Social Democratic 1,544,877 31.32  1.7 2,573  98
Democratic Unity Coalition 657,499 13.33  7.0 849  207
Democratic and Social Centre 443,731 9.00  7.2 712  303
PSD / CDS / PPM 195,249 3.96 41
PS / CDU / MDP/CDE 182,237 3.69 28
Democratic Renewal 41,085 0.83  4.4 26  247
PS / CDS 34,043 0.69 41
CDU / PRD 23,456 0.48 18
People's Democratic Union 17,706 0.36  0.3 14  0
Portuguese Workers' Communist 11,029 0.22  0.1 0  0
Portuguese Democratic Movement 9,239 0.19 6
Christian Democratic 4,250 0.09  0.0 3  1
MDP/CDE / PRD 2,762 0.06 4
People's Monarchist 1,859 0.04  0.3 2  5
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  0.4 6,753  81
Blank ballots 104,261 2.12  0.2
Invalid ballots 81,410 1.66  0.2
Total 4,908,139 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 8,211,821 59.77  3.4
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições Archived 2017-12-06 at the Wayback Machine

Parish Assemblies

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National summary of votes and seats

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Summary of the 17 December 1989 Parish Assemblies elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing Candidacies Mandates Presidents
Total ± Total ±
Social Democratic 1,556,509 31.69  1.2 13,237  119
Socialist 1,522,653 31.00  4.0 11,188  2,149
Democratic Unity Coalition 668,608 13.61  6.6 2,925  751
Democratic and Social Centre 397,164 8.09  2.4 3,444  1,087
PSD / CDS / PPM 189,335 3.86 403
PS / CDU / MDP/CDE 183,404 3.73 392
Independents 91,533 1.86  0.5 1,009  212
PS / CDS 32,109 0.65 181
Democratic Renewal 29,684 0.60  2.8 58  668
People's Democratic Union 24,324 0.50  0.1 30  4
CDU / PRD 22,713 0.46 95
Portuguese Democratic Movement 7,610 0.15 13
Portuguese Workers' Communist 4,576 0.09  0.0 0  0
People's Monarchist 1,247 0.03  0.0 9  15
Democratic Party of the Atlantic 1,162 0.02 3
Christian Democratic 1,068 0.02  0.0 7  3
MDP/CDE / PRD 952 0.02 5
PRD / MDP/CDE 213 0.00 1
Total valid 4,731,554 96.41  0.2 33,000  1,059
Blank ballots 90,606 1.85  0.0
Invalid ballots 85,834 1.75  0.2
Total 4,907,994 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 8,882,933 55.25  8.3
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições Archived 2019-10-01 at the Wayback Machine

See also

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References

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  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. ^ Sum of votes between CDS-only lists and lists with other parties.
  8. ^ Sum of councillors between CDS-only lists and lists with other parties.
  9. ^ "As cores políticas que pintam o mapa do poder local de 1976 a 2013". Jornal de Negócios (in Portuguese). 2017.
  10. ^ ""Secos e Molhados" na primeira pessoa: (Re)viver a História". Expresso (in Portuguese). 2016.
  11. ^ "Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Recenseamentos Gerais da População)". www.ine.pt (in Portuguese). Statistics Portugal. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
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