2004 European Parliament election in Portugal

The European Parliament election of 2004 in Portugal was the election of MEPs representing Portugal for the 2004-2009 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 2004 European election. In Portugal the election was held on 13 June.

European Parliament election in Portugal, 2004
13 June 2004
24 seats to the European Parliament
Turnout38.6% 1.3 pp
  First party Second party
 
Leader António Costa João de Deus Pinheiro
Party PS FP
Alliance PES EPP
Last election 12 seats 11 seats
Seats won 12 9
Seat change 0 2
Popular vote 1,516,001 1,132,769
Percentage 44.5% 33.3%
Swing 1.5 pp 6.0 pp
  Third party Fourth party
 
Leader Ilda Figueiredo Miguel Portas
Party CDU BE
Alliance GUE/NGL EACL
Last election 2 seats 0 seats
Seats won 2 1
Seat change 0 1
Popular vote 309,401 167,313
Percentage 9.1% 4.9%
Swing 1.2 pp 3.1 pp

The Socialist Party (PS) was the big winner of the elections, achieving their best result in a European election ever. The party won 44.5% of the votes, an increase of 1.5%, and held on to the 12 seats won in 1999. However the Socialist victory, and the campaign overall, was overshadowed by the sudden death of the PS top candidate, António Sousa Franco. Sousa Franco died of a heart attack while campaigning in Matosinhos, just four days before election day. António Costa, number 2 on the list, became the Socialists' top candidate after Sousa Franco's death.

The Social Democrats (PSD) and the People's Party (CDS–PP) contested the election in a coalition called "Forward Portugal" (FP). The coalition had a very weak performance, winning just 33% of the votes, a big drop compared with the combined total of 39% the PSD+CDS had in 1999. The PSD lost two seats, while CDS–PP held on to their two seats.

The Democratic Unity Coalition (CDU) dropped 1% and fell below 10% of the votes for the first time. CDU was still able to hold on to the two seats they had won in 1999. The Left Bloc (BE) gained a seat for the EU parliament for the first time, and saw its share of vote increase to almost 5%, an increase of more than 3% compared with 1999.

Turnout dropped compared with 1999, with 38.6% of voters casting a ballot.

Electoral System

The voting method used for the election of European members of parliament, is proportional representation using the d'Hondt method, which is known to benefit the largest parties slightly. In the 2004 EU elections, Portugal had 24 seats to be filled. Deputies are elected in a single constituency, corresponding to the entire national territory.

Parties and candidates

The major parties that partook in the election, and their EP list leaders, were:[1]

Opinion Polling
Date Released Polling Firm PS FP CDU BE Others Lead
13 June 2004 Election Results 44.5
12 seats		 33.3
9 seats		 9.1
2 seats		 4.9
1 seats		 8.2
0 seats		 11.2
13 June 2004 Exit Poll – RTP1
Universidade Católica		 43.0–47.0
12 / 13 		32.0–36.0
8 / 9 		8.0–10.0
2 / 3		 4.0–6.0
1
—
 11.0
13 June 2004 Exit Poll – SIC
Eurosondagem		 44.1–47.9
12 / 13 		29.7–33.5
8 / 9 		10.1–11.9
2 / 3 		5.1–6.9
1
—
 14.4
13 June 2004 Exit Poll – TVI
Intercampus		 42.3–47.1
12 / 13 		30.5–35.1
8 / 9 		7.3–10.1
2 		4.7–6.9
1
—
 11.8
12.0
Exit polls
11 June 2004 Aximage 40.3 39.8 8.3 6.2 5.5 0.5
11 June 2004 Universidade Católica 44.0 37.0 8.0 5.0 6.0 7.0
11 June 2004 Eurosondagem 43.3 37.8 7.7 5.6 5.6 5.5
11 June 2004 Intercampus 42.4 27.5 12.6 6.7 10.9 14.9
9 June 2004 Marktest 49.2 37.4 6.3 5.0 2.1 11.8
5 June 2004 Aximage
Seat projection		 39.2
11 / 12		 34.5
9 / 10		 7.9
2		 2.4
1		 16.0
–		 4.7
25 May 2004 Aximage 39.5 33.6 8.3 4.0 14.6 5.9
20 May 2004 TNS Euroteste 34.0 34.0 4.0 3.0 25.0 Tie
19 May 2004 Marktest[lower-alpha 1] 49.2 34.8 8.1 4.1 3.8 14.4
14 May 2004 Universidade Católica 44.3 40.7 5.4 5.2 4.4 3.6
7 May 2004 Aximage
Seat projection		 40.5
11		 35.8
9		 6.1
1		 3.3
–		 14.3
3		 4.7
29 March 2004 Marktest 54.7 34.5 5.5 2.4 3.0 20.2
13 June 1999 Election Results 43.1
12 seats		 39.31
11 seats		 10.3
2 seats		 1.8
0 seats		 5.6
0 seats		 3.8
1 Sum of votes and seats of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and of the People's Party (CDS–PP).

National summary of votes and seats
 Summary of the results of Portugal's 13 June 2004 election to the European Parliament
← 1999 • 2004 • 2009 →
National party European party Main candidate Votes % +/– Seats +/–
Socialist Party (PS) PES António Costa 1,516,001 44.52 1.45 12 0
Forward Portugal (FP)
• Social Democratic Party (PSD)
• People's Party (CDS–PP) 		EPP João de Deus Pinheiro 1,132,769 33.27 [3] 9
7
2
2
0
Democratic Unitarian Coalition (CDU)
• Communist Party (PCP)
• Ecologist Party (PEV)		 GUE/NGL Ilda Figueiredo 309,401 9.09 1.23 2
2
0
0
0
Left Bloc (BE) EACL Miguel Portas 167,313 4.91 3.12 1 1
Workers' Communist Party (PCTP/MRPP) None António Garcia Pereira 36,294 1.07 0.19 0 0
Others (parties or candidates that won less than 1% of the vote and no seats) 108,338 3.18 — 0 —
Valid votes 3,270,116 96.04
Blank and invalid votes 134,666 3.96
Totals 3,404,782 100.00 — 24 1
Electorate (eligible voters) and voter turnout 8,821,456 38.60 1.33
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

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Vote share
PS
 
 44.52%
FP
 
 33.27%
CDU
 
 9.09%
BE
 
 4.91%
PCTP/MRPP
 
 1.07%
PND
 
 0.99%
Others
 
 2.19%
Blank/Invalid
 
 3.96%

Distribution by European group
Summary of political group distribution in the 6th European Parliament (2004–2009) [4]
Groups Parties Seats Total %
Party of European Socialists (PES) 12 12 50.00
European People's Party–European Democrats (EPP–ED) 7
2		 9 37.50
European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) 2
1		 3 12.50
Total 24 24 100.00

Maps

Notes
  1. Results presented here exclude undecideds (34.7%) and abstainers (14.0%). With their inclusion results are: PS: 26.2%; PSD/CDS-PP: 18.5%; CDU: 4.3%; BE: 2,2%; Blank: 2.0%.

References
  1. Comissão Nacional de Eleições - Deputados, Mapa Oficial nº 1/2004
  2. Candidate chosen to lead the Socialist list after the unexpected death of the former head of the list António Sousa Franco.
  3. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the People's Party (CDS–PP) contested separately the 1999 election.
  4. "Elecciones al Parlamento Europeo: Resultados por países 1979 - 2014". historiaelectoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 November 2017.

See also
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