1980 Portuguese legislative election
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250 seats to the Portuguese Assembly 125 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Registered | 7,179,023 ![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Turnout | 6,026,395 (83.9%)![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1980 Portuguese legislative election took place on 5 October. The election renewed all 250 members of the Assembly of the Republic.
In January 1980, the Democratic Alliance, which had won the previous election, on 2 December 1979, entered office with Francisco Sá Carneiro leading the government. However, this election was an extraordinary election and because of Fixed-term Parliament rules, in 1980, another election was held.
The Democratic Alliance (AD) won, again, and increased the majority they had achieved 10 months before, in December 1979. The AD won almost 48 percent of the votes and gathered 134 seats, six more.[1] The Socialist Party (PS), now leading a broad coalition called Republican and Socialist Front, got basically the same vote share and seats as in 1979. The Communist led alliance, United People Alliance (APU) lost some ground, gathering almost 17 percent of the votes, 2 percentage points lower than 10 months earlier.
Turnout was one of the highest ever, almost 84 percent, and in terms of ballots cast, the more than 6 million votes cast was a record in Portuguese elections for 44 years after being surpassed in the 2024 legislative election.
Electoral system
The Assembly of the Republic has 250 members elected to four-year terms. Governments do not require absolute majority support of the Assembly to hold office, as even if the number of opposers of government is larger than that of the supporters, the number of opposers still needs to be equal or greater than 126 (absolute majority) for both the Government's Programme to be rejected or for a motion of no confidence to be approved.[2]
The number of seats assigned to each district depends on the district magnitude.[3] The use of the d'Hondt method makes for a higher effective threshold than certain other allocation methods such as the Hare quota or Sainte-Laguë method, which are more generous to small parties.[4]
For these elections, and compared with the 1979 elections, the MPs distributed by districts were the following:[5]
District | Number of MPs | Map |
---|---|---|
Lisbon | 56 | |
Porto | 38 | |
Setúbal | 17 | |
Aveiro and Braga | 15 | |
Santarém and Coimbra | 12 | |
Leiria | 11 | |
Viseu | 10 | |
Faro | 9 | |
Castelo Branco, Viana do Castelo and Vila Real | 6 | |
Azores, Beja, Évora, Guarda and Madeira | 5 | |
Bragança and Portalegre | 4 | |
Europe and Outside Europe | 2 |
Parties
The table below lists the parties represented in the Assembly of the Republic during the second half of the 1st legislature (1976–1980), as the 1979 election was a national by-election, and that also contested the elections:
Name | Ideology | Political position | Leader | 1979 result[6] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | Seats | ||||||
PPD/PSD | Social Democratic Party Partido Social Democrata |
Liberal conservatism | Centre-right | Francisco Sá Carneiro | 45.3% [d] |
80 / 250
| |
CDS | Democratic and Social Center Centro Democrático e Social |
Christian democracy | Centre-right to right-wing |
Diogo Freitas do Amaral | 43 / 250
| ||
PPM | People's Monarchist Party Partido Popular Monárquico |
Monarchism Green conservatism |
Right-wing | Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles | 5 / 250
| ||
PS | Socialist Party Partido Socialista |
Social democracy | Centre-left | Mário Soares | 27.3% [e] |
74 / 250
| |
PCP | Portuguese Communist Party Partido Comunista Português |
Communism Marxism–Leninism |
Far-left | Álvaro Cunhal | 18.8% [f] |
44 / 250
| |
MDP/CDE | Portuguese Democratic Movement Movimento Democrático Português |
Left-wing nationalism Democratic socialism |
Left-wing | José Manuel Tengarrinha | 3 / 250
| ||
UDP | Popular Democratic Union União Democrática Popular |
Marxism Socialism |
Left-wing | Mário Tomé | 2.2% | 1 / 250
|
Campaign period
Party slogans
Party or alliance | Original slogan | English translation | Refs | |
---|---|---|---|---|
AD | « Garantir o progresso. » | "Ensure progress." | [7] | |
FRS | « Um governo para todos. A sua segurança. » | "A government for all. Your safety." | [8] | |
APU | « Vota APU, para a vitória de Abril » | "Vote APU, for the victory of April" | [9] | |
UDP | « Abril de novo pela força do povo » | "April again by the strength of the people" | [10] |
National summary of votes and seats
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Parties | Votes | % | ± | Seats | MPs %/ votes % | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1979 | 1980 | ± | % | ± | |||||||
Democratic Alliance[g] | 2,706,667 | 44.91 | ![]() |
121 | 126 | ![]() |
50.40 | ![]() |
1.12 | ||
Social Democratic[h] | 147,644 | 2.45 | ![]() |
7 | 8 | ![]() |
3.20 | ![]() |
1.31 | ||
Democratic and Social Centre[h] | 13,765 | 0.23 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | ![]() |
0.00 | ![]() |
0.0 | ||
Total Democratic Alliance | 2,868,076 | 47.59 | ![]() |
128 | 134 | ![]() |
53.60 | ![]() |
1.13 | ||
Republican and Socialist Front[i][c] | 1,606,198 | 26.65 | — | — | 71 | — | 28.40 | — | 1.07 | ||
Socialist[j] | 67,081 | 1.11 | — | 74 | 3 | — | 1.20 | — | 1.08 | ||
Total Republican and Socialist Front | 1,673,279 | 27.76 | ![]() |
74 | 74 | ![]() |
29.60 | ![]() |
1.07 | ||
United People Alliance[k] | 1,009,505 | 16.75 | ![]() |
47 | 41 | ![]() |
16.40 | ![]() |
0.98 | ||
People's Democratic Union | 83,204 | 1.38 | ![]() |
1 | 1 | ![]() |
0.40 | ![]() |
0.29 | ||
Workers Party of Socialist Unity | 83,095 | 1.38 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | ![]() |
0.00 | ![]() |
0.0 | ||
Revolutionary Socialist | 60,496 | 1.00 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | ![]() |
0.00 | ![]() |
0.0 | ||
Labour | 39,408 | 0.65 | — | — | 0 | — | 0.00 | — | 0.0 | ||
Portuguese Workers' Communist | 35,409 | 0.59 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | ![]() |
0.00 | ![]() |
0.0 | ||
PDC / MIRN/PDP / FN | 23,819 | 0.40 | — | — | 0 | — | 0.00 | — | 0.0 | ||
Democratic Party of the Atlantic | 8,529 | 0.14 | — | — | 0 | — | 0.00 | — | 0.0 | ||
OCMLP | 3,913 | 0.06 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | ![]() |
0.00 | ![]() |
0.0 | ||
Total valid | 5,888,733 | 97.72 | ![]() |
250 | 250 | ![]() |
100.00 | ![]() |
— | ||
Blank ballots | 34,552 | 0.57 | ![]() |
||||||||
Invalid ballots | 103,140 | 1.71 | ![]() | ||||||||
Total | 6,026,395 | 100.00 | |||||||||
Registered voters/turnout | 7,179,023 | 83.94 | ![]() | ||||||||
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições |
Distribution by constituency
Constituency | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | Total S |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AD | FRS | APU | PSD | PS | UDP | ||||||||
Azores | 3.1 | - | 57.0 | 4 | 27.3 | 1 | 1.3 | - | 5 | ||||
Aveiro | 58.8 | 10 | 27.1 | 4 | 6.8 | 1 | 15 | ||||||
Beja | 22.4 | 1 | 21.1 | 1 | 47.1 | 3 | 1.3 | - | 5 | ||||
Braga | 54.9 | 9 | 29.3 | 5 | 8.4 | 1 | 0.9 | - | 15 | ||||
Bragança | 65.3 | 3 | 21.3 | 1 | 4.8 | - | 1.0 | - | 4 | ||||
Castelo Branco | 51.0 | 4 | 30.3 | 2 | 10.5 | - | 0.7 | - | 6 | ||||
Coimbra | 46.1 | 6 | 35.9 | 5 | 9.9 | 1 | 0.8 | - | 12 | ||||
Évora | 29.2 | 1 | 18.7 | 1 | 45.7 | 3 | 0.9 | - | 5 | ||||
Faro | 37.2 | 4 | 34.7 | 4 | 16.7 | 1 | 1.9 | - | 9 | ||||
Guarda | 60.6 | 4 | 26.3 | 1 | 5.0 | - | 0.7 | - | 5 | ||||
Leiria | 59.8 | 7 | 22.7 | 3 | 9.7 | 1 | 1.0 | - | 11 | ||||
Lisbon | 41.6 | 25 | 28.1 | 17 | 23.1 | 13 | 1.7 | 1 | 56 | ||||
Madeira | 2.9 | - | 63.6 | 4 | 16.5 | 1 | 4.5 | - | 5 | ||||
Portalegre | 33.4 | 2 | 32.4 | 1 | 26.1 | 1 | 0.7 | - | 4 | ||||
Porto | 46.6 | 19 | 34.3 | 14 | 11.9 | 5 | 1.4 | - | 38 | ||||
Santarém | 42.1 | 6 | 30.4 | 4 | 19.0 | 2 | 1.2 | - | 12 | ||||
Setúbal | 24.1 | 4 | 23.5 | 4 | 44.0 | 9 | 2.8 | - | 17 | ||||
Viana do Castelo | 59.2 | 5 | 22.8 | 1 | 10.0 | - | 0.7 | - | 6 | ||||
Vila Real | 62.1 | 5 | 22.8 | 1 | 5.1 | - | 0.8 | - | 6 | ||||
Viseu | 66.8 | 8 | 20.9 | 2 | 5.0 | - | 0.6 | - | 10 | ||||
Europe | 49.6 | 1 | 15.2 | - | 25.4 | 1 | 1.4 | - | 2 | ||||
Outside Europe | 85.5 | 2 | 2.6 | - | 4.0 | - | 0.4 | - | 2 | ||||
Total | 44.9 | 126 | 26.7 | 71 | 16.8 | 41 | 2.5 | 8 | 1.1 | 3 | 1.4 | 1 | 250 |
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições |
Maps
-
Most voted political force by municipality.
Aftermath
Death of Francisco Sá Carneiro
Just two months after winning the 1980 elections, and while campaigning for the Democratic Alliance's candidate for the December 1980 Presidential election, Prime Minister Francisco Sá Carneiro and his Defense minister Adelino Amaro da Costa, along with their spouses Snu Abecassis and Maria Vaz Pires, respectively, and the plane's pilot, died in tragic air crash when the small aircraft they were on board crashed and burned in Camarate, Loures, shortly after taking off from the main runway of Lisbon Airport.[11] This tragic air crash sparked a series of conspirancy theories, mainly because of Portugal' involvement in the Iran–Iraq War and the supply of weapons to both Iraq and Iran.[12] Several investigations surrounding the crash were conducted and the official cause of the crash is still a matter of intense debate.[13] Diogo Freitas do Amaral was appointed as Interim Prime Minister until the election of Francisco Pinto Balsemão as PSD leader and subsequent nomination as Prime Minister.[14]
Fall of the government
The Balsemão governments were very unstable due to lack of leadership and deep disagreements between the three parties that composed the Democratic Alliance (AD). In the 1982 local elections, the AD was able to gather 42 percent of the votes, against the 31 percent of the PS and 20.5 percent of APU, but suffered loses and many within the coalition, mainly Diogo Freitas do Amaral, labeled the results as a disaster.[15] With this background, Pinto Balsemão resigned as Prime Minister and the PSD proposed names for Prime Minister to President António Ramalho Eanes. However, President Eanes refused to swear in a new AD government and dissolved Parliament by calling elections for 25 April 1983.[16]
Notes
- ^ As leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD).
- ^ As leader of the Socialist Party (PS).
- ^ a b Republican and Socialist Front results are compared to the combined totals of the Socialist Party in the 1979 election.
- ^ The Social Democratic Party (PSD), the Democratic Social Center (CDS) and the People's Monarchist Party (PPM) contested the 1979 election in a coalition called Democratic Alliance (AD) and won a combined 45.3% of the vote and elected 128 MP's to parliament.
- ^ The Socialist Party (PS), Left-wing Union for the Socialist Democracy (UEDS) and the Independent Social-Democratic Action (ASDI) would contest the 1980 election in a coalition called Republican and Socialist Front (FRS).
- ^ The Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) and the Portuguese Democratic Movement (MDP/CDE) contested the 1979 election in a coalition called United People Alliance (APU) and won a combined 18.8% of the vote and elected 47 MPs to parliament.
- ^ Alliance formed by the Social Democratic Party (74 seats), the Democratic and Social Centre (46 seats) and the People's Monarchist Party (6 seats).
- ^ a b Social Democratic Party and Democratic and Social Centre electoral list only in Azores and Madeira.
- ^ Alliance formed by the Socialist Party (63 seats), the Leftwing Union for the Socialist Democracy (4 seats) and the Independent Social-Democratic Action (4 seats).
- ^ Socialist Party electoral list only in Azores and Madeira.
- ^ Portuguese Communist Party (39 MPs) and Portuguese Democratic Movement (2 MPs) ran in coalition.
References
- ^ "Vitória de Sá Carneiro nas eleições de 1980 ", RTP, 8 September 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
- ^ "Constitution of the Portuguese Republic" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
- ^ "Effective threshold in electoral systems". Trinity College, Dublin. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
- ^ Gallaher, Michael (1992). "Comparing Proportional Representation Electoral Systems: Quotas, Thresholds, Paradoxes and Majorities"
- ^ "Eleição da Assembleia da República de 5 de Outubro de 1980". CNE - Comissão Nacional de Eleições - Eleição da Assembleia da República de 5 de Outubro de 1980. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
- ^ Composição dos Grupos Parlamentares/Partidos
- ^ "Comunicação Política em eleições legislativas em Portugal: uma análise a partir dos cartazes eleitorais (1975-2009)" (PDF). Francisco Teixeira (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "ELEIÇÕES LEGISLATIVAS DE 1980 – FRENTE REPUBLICANA E SOCIALISTA (PS + ASDI + UEDS)". EPHEMERA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "ELEIÇÕES LEGISLATIVAS DE 1980 – APU". EPHEMERA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "UDP – 1980". EPHEMERA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "Sá Carneiro morre em acidente de aviação" (in Portuguese). RTP. 8 September 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ "Atentado de Camarate. Familiar de vítima acusa republicanos dos EUA" (in Portuguese). RTP. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ "Atentado ou acidente? Quarenta anos depois de Camarate, mistério continua por resolver" (in Portuguese). Jornal Económico. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ "Tomada de posse do VII Governo Constitucional" (in Portuguese). RTP. 9 January 1981. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ "Um Parlamento dissolvido contra a maioria dos deputados" (in Portuguese). Expresso. 16 January 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
- ^ "Presidente da República dissolve Assembleia da República, em 1983" (in Portuguese). RTP. 8 September 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
External links
- Comissão Nacional de Eleições Archived 2005-04-08 at the Wayback Machine
- Centro de Estudos do Pensamento Político