The previous elections:
Portuguese elections 1975Portuguese elections 1976Portuguese elections 1979Portuguese elections 1980Portuguese elections 1983Portuguese elections 1985Portuguese elections 1987Portuguese elections 1991Portuguese elections 1995Portuguese elections 1999Portuguese elections 2002Portuguese elections 2005Portuguese elections 2009The 2011 general election, scheduled for June 5, was called after the resignation of PM José Sócrates on March 2011.
Parties:
PS - Socialist Party center-left, leader José Sócrates
PPD/PSD - Social Democratic Party, center-right, leader Pedro Passos Coelho
CDS-PP - CDS-People's Party, center-right, leader Paulo Portas
BE - Left Bloc, left-wing, leader Francisco Louçã
CDU - Unitary Democratic Coalition (PCP, PEV), left-wing, leader Jerónimo de Sousa
PCTP/MRPP - Portuguese Workers' Communist Party, far-left/Maoism, leader António Garcia Pereira
MEP - Hope for Portugal Movement, liberal/centrist, leader Rui Marques
PND - New Democracy Party, center-right to right-wing, leader Joel Viana
PPM - People's Monarchist Party, center-right to right-wing, leader Paulo Estêvão
MPT - Earth Party, center-right, leader Pedro Quartin Graça
PH - Humanistic Party, center-left, leader Manuela Magno
PNR - National Renovator Party, far-right, leader José Pinto Coelho
PPV - Portugal Pro-Life, right-wing, leader Luís Botelho Ribeiro
PTP - Portuguese Labour Party, center-left, leader Amândio Madaleno
POUS - Workers Party of Socialist Unity, far-left, leader Carmelinda Pereira
PAN - Party for Animals and Nature, center-left, leader Paulo Borges
PDA - Democratic Party of the Atlantic, centrism, leader Manuel Costa
Background:
The PS won reelection in the 2009 general elections, but scored the worst result ever for an incumbent government that is reelected in Portuguese history. The PS minority was the smallest since the PSD minority in 1985. CDS-PP and BE were the two big surprises in the election, with CDS-PP polling 3rd, contradicting all polls, and BE scoring almost 10%, although they were hoping to place at 3rd. CDU was able to hold to its ground, while PSD was the biggest loser by polling just 29%, basically the same as 2005. Two weeks after, Portuguese voters went to the polls again to elect local governments. In those elections, PSD hold on to their status as the biggest local party, although only just, as the PS made significant gains and the difference, in term of % points, was just 1% between the two main parties. After the local elections, President Cavaco Silva asked Sócrates to form government and all opposition parties, from left to right, refused to support Sócrates. José Sócrates was, nonetheless, sworn in to a second term as PM in late October 2009. The PSD leader, Manuela Ferreira Leite, said she would not run for a second term as PSD leader, and called party elections for March 2010. During this period, the country was in recession, and the deficit was almost 10%. By early 2010, the economy started to recover by growing more than 2%, but the government was being forced to implement austerity measures by the EU and the markets. The PS 2010 budget passed, in February 2010, thanks to the abstention of the PSD, which was on a leadership campaign. On January 2010, Parliament approved the legalization of same-sex marriages with the votes of PS, BE and CDU, while PSD and CDS voted against.
On March 26, 2010, the PSD elected Pedro Passos Coelho as leader. He got 61% of the votes, against the 34% of his rival, Paulo Rangel. Seen from the liberal wing of the party, Passos Coelho started to negotiate several austerity policies with Sócrates, which forced Coelho to apologize to the electorate some positions. The PSD surged in the polls and tied with the PS from spring to summer 2010, while some PSD policies were receiving a lot of negative press coverage, like the idea to reform the Constitution which was later drooped. The economy, by this stage, was growing but losing steam. By the fall of 2010, the economy was on the verge of stagnation and Portugal was feeling the pressure of Financial Markets, as Greece and Ireland were bailed out. The 2011 budget resulted in tense negotiations between PS and PSD, which ended with both parties forging an agreement. The PSD would abstain in the vote, like in the 2010. The budget predicted tax hikes and budget cuts for 2011, in order to satisfy markets. But, that wasn't working. After the budget was approved, the government introduced amendments to the budgets, called PECs, which created a sense of panic and lack of leadership in the view of the markets and the electorate. As the PSD was surging in the polls, President Cavaco Silva was reelected with 53% of the votes in early 2011, and in his sworn in speech in March 2011, he lashed out against Sócrates saying he wasn't capable to control the country's economy and finances. The political climate was dark by this stage.
In mid March 2010, hundreds of people went to the streets to protest against the government's policies. The "Geração à Rasca" (the Troubled Generation) protests showed a deep anger towards Sócrates government. The economic situation was quite grim, with markets shutting the door to Portugal as the country wasn't able to borrow money to pay for expenses. On the PSD, Passos Coelho was being pressured to go for the kill and drop Sócrates and the PS. On March 23, Parliament struck down Sócrates 4th PEC with PSD, CDS, BE and CDU voting against the government. Sócrates resign and asked Cavaco Silva to call snap elections. But, there was another problem. Portugal was near bankruptcy and Sócrates was refusing to as a bailout, at the same time the bankers and business leaders were pleading for Sócrates to accept a bailout. At the end, it was his Finance minister, Teixeira dos Santos, who pull the plug and asked for a bailout, against the wishes of Sócrates. Their relationship was tarnished by this decision. The EU and IMF bailout was approved and the government started negotiating harsh austerity policies. President Cavaco called elections for June 5th.
During the first stage of the campaign, the PS closed the gap with the PSD and even pull ahead of the Social Democrats in some polls, but Sócrates announcement of the deal between Portugal and EU/IMF was badly received by the media, as it was labeled as false and misleading. After the leaders debate, the PSD started to surge, again, in the polls while the PS drooped. Sócrates, and the PS, campaign with the motto of defending Portugal and fighting for it, while PSD campaign on change. The campaign was quite tense between PS and PSD. BE was falling in the polls, while CDS was hoping to become a major party, as some polls gave them around 15%. The stage was set for the 2011 elections.
Poll
