The previous elections:
Portuguese elections 1975Portuguese elections 1976Portuguese elections 1979Portuguese elections 1980Portuguese elections 1983The 1985 elections, scheduled for October 6, were for called after the departure of the PSD from the "Central Bloc" coalition with the PS.
Parties:
PS - Socialist Party center-left, leader Almeida Santos
PPD/PSD - Social Democratic Party, center-right, leader Aníbal Cavaco Silva
APU - United People Alliance (PCP, MDP/CDE, PEV), left-wing, leader Álvaro Cunhal
CDS - Democratic Social Center, center-right, leader Francisco Lucas Pires
PDC - Christian Democratic Party, far-right
UDP - People's Democratic Union, radical left, leader, Acácio Barreiros
PCTP/MRPP - Portuguese Workers' Communist Party, far-left/Maoism, leader Arnaldo Matos
POUS - Workers Party of Socialist Unity, far-left
PSR - Revolutionary Socialist Party, far-left
PC(R) - Communist Party (Reconstructed), far-left
PRD - Democratic Renewal Party, centrist, leader Hermínio Martinho (
de facto leader António Ramalho Eanes, President of the Republic)
Background:
After the 1983 elections, PS and PSD forged a deal to form a "Central Bloc" coalition between the two parties. Mário Soares would be the PM and Carlos Mota Pinto, PSD leader, deputy PM. The new PS-PSD government faced the very difficult task of saving the Portuguese economy. The country, by 1983, was near bankruptcy, inflation was around 30% and the national currency, the escudo, valued almost nothing. The government was forced to ask for, another, bailout from the IMF. The bailout terms forced the government to increase taxes, cut spending and to persue other austerity policies. The economy was badly hit decreasing almost 1% in 1983 and almost 2% in 1984. Poverty grew, particularly in the Setúbal peninsula. The economy and wages, however, started to recover by 1985. During this government, negotiations between Portugal and the EEC were almost finished and, by 1985, Portugal, alongside Spain, was admitted into the EEC. Mário Soares signed Portugal's adhesion in June 1985. Portugal would become a full member on January 1st 1986.
On the political side, the PSD was in huge turmoil. Half of the party loaded the PS-PSD coalition and, in fact, the coalition was hurting deeply the party. By early 1985, the PSD was polling at around 16% and in fourth place, behind PRD and almost tied with CDS. During this period a new major party was founded, the Democratic Renewal Party (PRD). The party was founded by "Eanists", supporters of the President of the Republic (PR), António Ramalho Eanes. Eanes himself was involved in the creation of the party, but his job as PR blocked him of being the leader. Nonetheless, he was the
de facto leader. Eanes huge popularity helped the party and by early 1985, the party was neck and neck with the PS in opinion polls. Faced with this inscrutable situation, the PSD was at breaking point. In March 1985, Carlos Mota Pinto resigned as deputy PM and as party leader, and asked for a new party congress to elect a new leader. Mota Pinto suddenly died of a heart attack just days before the congress. In the May 1985 congress, 2 candidates were on the ballot: João Salgueiro and Aníbal Cavaco Silva. Salgueiro wanted to continue the PS-PSD coalition while Cavaco, former finance minister in Sá Carneiro's cabinets, wanted to break up the PS-PSD coalition and support Freitas do Amaral, former CDS leader, in the 1986 presidential elections.
The PSD congress in one of the most memorable in Portuguese democracy as it had a mix of suspense and dramatic mode, sort of. Cavaco was just a candidate at the very last moment. He says he only was a candidate because he wanted to try a new car he had just bought and when he arrived at Figueira da Foz, venue of the PSD congress, he had decided. Cavaco won, only just, over Salgueiro and became the new PSD leader. Just days after the PSD congress, the PS-PSD "Central Bloc" was over and a snap election was called. Mário Soares resigned as PM and exited the PS leadership in order to run in the 1986 presidential elections.
During the campaign, the PSD used a lot of Cavaco Silva's image as serious and honest politician to increase the party's chances, while the PS asked voters 43% to govern the country with a majority. PRD used the popular image of Ramalho Eanes as their main attraction. First Lady Manuela Eanes drew huge crowds for PRD election campaign rallies. The stage was set for the 1985 elections.
Poll
