1993 Portuguese local elections

The Portuguese local elections of 1993 took place on 12 December. The elections consisted of three separate elections in the 305 Portuguese municipalities, the election for the Municipal Chambers, whose winner is elected mayor, 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.

1993 Portuguese local elections

12 December 1993

All 305 Portuguese municipalities and 4,260 Portuguese Parishes
All 2,015 local government councils
Turnout63.4% 2.5 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader António Guterres Aníbal Cavaco Silva Carlos Carvalhas
Party PS PSD PCP
Alliance CDU
Last election 120 mayors, 36.8% 114 mayors, 35.3% 50 mayors, 12.9%
Popular vote 2,175,954[1] 1,824,519 689,923
Percentage 40.2% 33.7% 12.8%
Swing 3.4 pp 1.6 pp 0.1 pp
Mayors 127[2] 116 49
Mayors +/– 7 2 1
Councillors 822[3] 806 246
Councillors +/– 70 13 7

The Socialist Party (PS) maintained and increased their status as the largest local party. The party won 7 more cities compared with 1989 and, for the first time ever, polled above 40% of the votes.[4] The PS hold on the control of big cities like Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra, and were also able to win two big cities in the Lisbon area from the PSD, Cascais and Sintra.

The Social Democrats (PSD), although winning 2 more cities compared with last time, saw the gap between them and the PS widen, but, at the same, were able to hold onto their ground. The party suffered some losses, like they did in 1989, in the big urban centers but were able to win some cities from the PS like Pombal and Ponta Delgada. The elections happened as Cavaco Silva's government celebrated 8 years in power, and, at the same time Portugal was exiting the early 1990s recession which may have hurt the PSD electoral chances.

The Democratic Unity Coalition (CDU) was able to hold on to their 1989 scores losing just one city and 7 councillors. The coalition between the Communists and the Greens were able to hold on to their bastions of Beja, Évora and Almada. The share of the vote for the CDU was also unchanged compared with 1989.

The People's Party (CDS) was the big loser of the elections. The party lost 7 cities, most of them for the PSD and PS, achieving their worst results till that date as they only won 13 cities out of 305. The party lost many of their bastions like Mirandela or Paredes to the PS or the PSD. The party also achieved their worst share of vote till that time, 8.4%.

Turnout in these elections increased compared with the 1989 election, as 63.4% of the electorate cast a ballot, the best turnout showing since 1982.

Parties

The main political forces involved in the election were:

1 The PS formed a coalitions with CDS, CDU and UDP in several municipalities.

Results

National summary of votes and seats

Most voted parties or coalitions in each Municipality. Municipalities won by:
- PSD: 116
- PS: 127
- CDU: 49
- CDS–PP: 13
 Summary of the 12 December 1993 Municipal Councils elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing Candidacies Councillors Mayors
# ± # ±
Socialist 1,953,27936.103.77966812610
Social Democratic 1,824,51933.722.3806261163
Democratic Unity Coalition 689,92312.750.12467491
People's 454,0478.390.713544137
PS / CDU / UDP / PSR 200,8163.710.011210
National Solidarity 28,7160.5330
Earth 23,2250.4320
Portuguese Workers' Communist 16,0900.300.20000
Socialist / People's 11,4350.210.27803
PS / CDU / UDP / PDA 10,2340.1940
Popular Democratic Union 8,1610.150.20401
Democratic Renewal 1,4560.030.80400
Portuguese Democratic Movement 1,3870.030.21000
Democratic Party of the Atlantic 2870.010.00000
People's Monarchist 2690.000.10100
Christian Democratic 2160.000.10100
PS / CDU 1900.0040
Total valid 5,223,673 96.54 0.0 2,015 13 305 0
Blank ballots 103,6861.920.1
Invalid ballots 83,2511.540.1
Total 5,410,610 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 8,529,73763.432.5
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

National summary of votes and seats

 Summary of the 12 December 1993 Municipal Assemblies elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing Candidacies Mandates
# ±
Socialist 1,930,816 35.70 2.5 2,629 200
Social Democratic 1,829,087 33.82 1.3 2,671 98
Democratic Unity Coalition 704,980 13.04 0.8 803 46
People's 445,065 8.23 1.1 556 156
PS / CDU / UDP / PSR 194,501 3.60 0.2 32 9
National Solidarity 23,260 0.43 16
Earth 22,653 0.42 11
Portuguese Workers' Communist 12,063 0.22 0.0 1 1
Socialist / People's 11,905 0.22 0.5 24 17
People's Democratic Union 11,009 0.20 0.2 2 12
PS / CDU / UDP / PDA 9,958 0.18 11
Revolutionary Socialist 9,733 0.18 0
People's Monarchist 3,494 0.06 0.1 0 2
Democratic Renewal 1,476 0.03 0.9 2 24
Portuguese Democratic Movement 1,340 0.02 0.2 4 2
PS / CDU 96 0.00 7
Total valid 5,211,436 96.36 0.1 6,769 16
Blank ballots 111,8342.070.0
Invalid ballots 85,0421.570.1
Total 5,408,312 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 8,530,29763.403.6
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

National summary of votes and seats

 Summary of the 12 December 1993 Parish Assemblies elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing Candidacies Mandates Presidents
# ± # ±
Socialist 1,860,18834.532.312,3121,124
Social Democratic 1,810,84133.620.713,679442
Democratic Unity Coalition 714,00113.260.82,747177
People's 418,9987.780.62,719725
PS / CDU / UDP / PSR 199,2753.700.244755
Independents 123,3512.290.41,234225
National Solidarity 21,4620.4055
Earth 12,4900.2338
Socialist / People's 11,9130.220.512457
PS / CDU / UDP / PDA 10,5930.2080
People's Democratic Union 7,6390.140.4228
Portuguese Workers' Communist 3,8200.070.011
Democratic Renewal 1,5250.030.61048
Portuguese Democratic Movement 1,1630.020.285
People's Monarchist 3060.010.027
Left Revolutionary Front 770.000
Total valid 5,197,642 96.49 0.1 33,458 458
Blank ballots 99,5181.850.0
Invalid ballots 89,4901.660.1
Total 5,386,650 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 8,530,29763.157.9
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

See also

References

  1. Sum of votes between PS-only lists and lists with other parties.
  2. Number of municipalities won between PS-only lists and lists with other parties. PS-only lists: 126; PS-coalition lists: 1.
  3. Sum of councillors between PS-only lists and lists with other parties.
  4. "As cores políticas que pintam o mapa do poder local de 1976 a 2013". Jornal de Negócios (in Portuguese). 2017.
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