| Election Name: | 2014 European Parliament election in Portugal |
| Country: | Portugal |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 2009 European Parliament election in Portugal |
| Previous Year: | 2009 |
| Next Election: | 2019 European Parliament election in Portugal |
| Next Year: | 2019 |
| Seats For Election: | All 21 Portuguese seats to the European Parliament |
| Election Date: | 25 May 2014 |
| Turnout: | 33.7% 3.1 pp |
| Party1: | Socialist Party (Portugal) |
| Alliance1: | Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats |
| Last Election1: | 7 seats, 26.6% |
| Seats1: | 8 |
| Seat Change1: | 1 |
| Popular Vote1: | 1,034,249 |
| Percentage1: | 31.5% |
| Swing1: | 4.9 pp |
| 1Data1: | Party of European Socialists |
| Colour2: | 00aaaa |
| Leader2: | Paulo Rangel |
| Party2: | AP |
| Alliance2: | European People's Party (European Parliament group) |
| Last Election2: | [1] |
| Seats2: | 7[2] |
| Seat Change2: | 3[3] |
| Popular Vote2: | 910,647 |
| Percentage2: | 27.7% |
| Swing2: | 12.4 pp |
| 1Data2: | European People's Party, within EPP-ED |
| Colour3: | EE0000 |
| Leader3: | João Ferreira |
| Party3: | CDU |
| Alliance3: | European United Left–Nordic Green Left |
| Seats3: | 3 |
| Seat Change3: | 1 |
| Popular Vote3: | 416,925 |
| Percentage3: | 12.7% |
| Swing3: | 2.0 pp |
| Colour4: | 013220 |
| Leader4: | Marinho e Pinto |
| Party4: | MPT |
| Alliance4: | Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group |
| Last Election4: | 0 seats, 0.7% |
| Seats4: | 2 |
| Seat Change4: | 2 |
| Popular Vote4: | 234,788 |
| Percentage4: | 7.2% |
| Swing4: | 6.5 pp |
| Leader5: | Marisa Matias |
| Party5: | Left Bloc (Portugal) |
| Alliance5: | European United Left–Nordic Green Left |
| Last Election5: | 3 seats, 10.7% |
| Seats5: | 1 |
| Seat Change5: | 2 |
| Popular Vote5: | 149,764 |
| Percentage5: | 4.6% |
| Swing5: | 6.2 pp |
| Leader6: | Rui Tavares |
| Party6: | L |
| Alliance6: | Greens–European Free Alliance |
| Last Election6: | Did not contest |
| Seats6: | 0 |
| Seat Change6: | New party |
| Popular Vote6: | 71,495 |
| Percentage6: | 2.2% |
| Swing6: | New party |
| Elected Members: | elected members |
| Outgoing Members: | outgoing members |
| Ongoing: | no |
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.
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.
The major parties that participated in the election, and their European Parliament list leaders, were:
The Social Democratic Party and the People's Party have contested this election in a coalition.[4]
| 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] | ||
| 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[12] | 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[13] | 506 | 35.4 | 32.2 | 7.3 | 11.5 | — | — | 13.6 | 3.2 |
| 20–24 Jan | Pitagórica[14] | 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 | 40.11 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). | ||||||||||
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] | ||||||||||
|-!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left colspan=2|National party!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left|European
party!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left|Main candidate!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|%!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|+/–!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Seats!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|+/–|- align="right"| style="background-color: " width=5px|| align="left"| Socialist Party (PS)| align="left"| PES| align="left"| Francisco Assis| 1,034,249| 31.49| 4.96 ! 8| 1 |- align="right"| style="background-color: #00aaaa" width=5px|| align="left" valign="top" | Portugal Alliance (AP)
• Social Democratic Party (PSD)
• People's Party (CDS–PP)| align="left" valign="top" | EPP| align="left" valign="top" | Paulo Rangel| valign="top" | 910,647| valign="top" | 27.73| valign="top" |[17] ! 7
6
1|
2
1 |- align="right"| style="background-color: " width=5px|| align="left" valign="top" | Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
• Communist Party (PCP)
• Ecologist Party (PEV)| align="left" valign="top" | EGP / PEL| align="left" valign="top" | João Ferreira| valign="top" | 416,925| valign="top" | 12.69| valign="top" | 2.05 !3
3
0|
1
0 |- align="right"| style="background-color: " width=5px|| align="left"| Earth Party (MPT)| align="left"| ALDE| align="left"| Marinho e Pinto| 234,788| 7.15| 6.48 ! 2| 2 |- align="right"| style="background-color: " width=5px|| align="left"| Left Bloc (B.E.)| align="left"| PEL / EACL| align="left"| Marisa Matias| 149,764| 4.56| 6.16 ! 1| 2 |- | style="background-color: " width=5px|| align="left"| LIVRE (L)| align="left"| | align="left"| Rui Tavares| 71,495| 2.18| new! 0| new|- align="right"| style="background-color: teal" width=5px|| align="left"| Party for Animals and Nature (PAN)| align="left"| EUL-NGL| align="left"| Orlando Figueiredo| 56,431| 1.72| new! 0| new|- align="right"| style="background-color: " width=5px|| align="left"| Workers' Communist Party (PCTP/MRPP)| align="left"| None| align="left"| Leopoldo Mesquita| 54,708 | 1.67| 0.47 ! 0| 0 |- align="right"| style="background-color: " width=5px|| align="left"| New Democracy Party (PND)| align="left"| EUD| align="left"| Eduardo Welsh| 23,082| 0.70| new! 0| new|- align="right"| style="background:#CC0033;" width=5px|| align="left"| Portuguese Labour Party (PTP)| align="left"| None| align="left"| José Manuel Coelho| 22,542| 0.69| new! 0| new|- align="right"| style="background-color: " width=5px|| align="left"| People's Monarchist Party (PPM)| align="left"| None| align="left"| Nuno Correia da Silva| 17,785| 0.54| 0.14 ! 0| 0 |- align="right"| style="background-color: " width=5px|| align="left"| National Renovator Party (P.N.R.)| align="left"| None| align="left"| Humberto Oliveira| 14,887| 0.45| 0.08 ! 0| 0 |- align="right"| style="background:crimson;" width=5px|| align="left"| Socialist Alternative Movement (MAS)| align="left"| None| align="left"| Gil Garcia| 12,497| 0.38| new! 0| new|- align="right"| style="background:#000080;" width=5px|| align="left"| Portugal Pro-Life (PPV)| align="left"| None| align="left"| Acácio Valente| 12,008| 0.37| new! 0| new|- align="right"| style="background-color: " width=5px|| align="left"| Democratic Party of the Atlantic (PDA)| align="left"| None| align="left"| Paulo Casaca| 5,298| 0.16| new! 0| new|- align="right"| style="background-color: " width=5px|| align="left"| Workers Party of Socialist Unity (POUS)| align="left"| None| align="left"| Carmelinda Pereira| 3,666| 0.11| 0.04 ! 0| 0 |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9"| style="text-align:right;" colspan="4" | Valid votes| 3,040,771| 92.58| colspan="3" rowspan="2" | |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9"| style="text-align:right;" colspan="4" | Blank and invalid votes| 243,681| 7.42|- style="background-color:#E9E9E9"| style="text-align:right;" colspan="4" | Totals| 3,284,452| 100.00| —! style="background-color:#E9E9E9"| 21| 1 |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9"| colspan="4" | Electorate (eligible voters) and voter turnout| 9,753,568| 33.67| 3.11 | colspan="2"| |-| align="left" colspan="11"| Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições |}
| Groups | Parties | Seats | Total | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party of European Socialists (PES) | 8 | 8 | 38.10 | |||
| European People's Party (EPP) | 6 1 | 7 | 33.33 | |||
| European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) | 3 1 | 4 | 19.05 | |||
| Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) | 2 | 2 | 9.52 | |||
| Total | 21 | 21 | 100.00 | |||