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

← 1989 12 December 1993 1997 →

All 305 Portuguese municipalities and 4,260 Portuguese Parishes
All 2,015 local government councils
Turnout63.4% Increase 2.5 pp
  First party Second party
 
António Guterres.jpg
Cavaco Silva 1988.png
Leader António Guterres Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Party PS PSD
Last election 120 mayors, 36.8% 114 mayors, 35.4%
Popular vote 2,175,954[1] 1,824,519
Percentage 40.2% 33.7%
Swing Increase 3.4 pp Decrease 1.7 pp
Mayors 127[2] 116
Mayors +/– Increase 7 Increase 2
Councillors 822[3] 806
Councillors +/– Increase 70 Increase 13

  Third party Fourth party
 
Carlos Carvalhas no XIX Congresso do PCP (cropped).png
CDS
Leader Carlos Carvalhas Manuel Monteiro
Party PCP CDS
Alliance CDU
Last election 50 mayors, 12.9% 20 mayors, 9.1%
Popular vote 689,923 454,047
Percentage 12.8% 8.4%
Swing Decrease 0.1 pp Decrease 0.7 pp
Mayors 49 13
Mayors +/– Decrease 1 Decrease 7
Councillors 246 135
Councillors +/– Decrease 7 Decrease 44

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 in an nationwide election.[4] The PS hold on the control of big cities like Lisbon, here with a record 57% of the votes, Porto and Coimbra, and were also able to win two big cities in the Lisbon area from the PSD, Cascais and Sintra. Note for the very narrow defeat of the PS, under the candidacy of future Prime Minister António Costa, in Loures.[5]

The Social Democratic Party (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 damaged, in some degree, the Social Democrats prospects in this election.

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 edit

The main political forces involved in the election were:

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

Results edit

Municipal Councils edit

National summary of votes and seats edit

Summary of the 12 December 1993 Municipal Councils elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing Candidacies Councillors Mayors
Total ± Total ±
Socialist 1,953,279 36.10  3.7 796  68 126  10
Social Democratic 1,824,519 33.72  2.3 806  26 116  3
Democratic Unity Coalition 689,923 12.75  0.1 246  7 49  1
People's 454,047 8.39  0.7 135  44 13  7
PS / CDU / UDP / PSR 200,816 3.71  0.0 11  2 1  0
National Solidarity 28,716 0.53 3 0
Earth 23,225 0.43 2 0
Portuguese Workers' Communist 16,090 0.30  0.2 0  0 0  0
Socialist / People's 11,435 0.21  0.2 7  8 0  3
PS / CDU / UDP / PDA 10,234 0.19 4 0
People's Democratic Union 8,161 0.15  0.2 0  4 0  1
Democratic Renewal 1,456 0.03  0.8 0  4 0  0
Portuguese Democratic Movement 1,387 0.03  0.2 1  0 0  0
Democratic Party of the Atlantic 287 0.01  0.0 0  0 0  0
People's Monarchist 269 0.00  0.1 0  1 0  0
Christian Democratic 216 0.00  0.1 0  1 0  0
PS / CDU 190 0.00 4 0
Total valid 5,223,673 96.54  0.0 2,015  13 305  0
Blank ballots 103,686 1.92  0.1
Invalid ballots 83,251 1.54  0.1
Total 5,410,610 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 8,529,737 63.43  2.5
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições Archived 2017-12-06 at the Wayback Machine

Municipality map edit

 
Most voted parties or coalitions in each Municipality. Municipalities won by:
- PSD: 116
- PS: 127
- CDU: 49
- CDS–PP: 13

City control edit

The following table lists party control in all district capitals, as well as in municipalities above 100,000 inhabitants. Population estimates from the 1991 Census.[6]

Municipality Population Previous control New control
Almada 151,783 Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
Amadora 181,774 Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
Aveiro 66,444 CDS – People's Party (CDS–PP) CDS – People's Party (CDS–PP)
Barcelos 111,733 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Beja 35,827 Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
Braga 141,256 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Bragança 33,055 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Cascais 153,294 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Socialist Party (PS)
Castelo Branco 54,310 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Coimbra 139,052 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Évora 53,754 Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
Faro 50,761 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Funchal 115,403 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Gondomar 143,178 Socialist Party (PS) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Guarda 38,765 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Guimarães 157,589 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Leiria 102,762 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Lisbon 663,394 PS / CDU / UDP / PSR PS / CDU / UDP / PSR
Loures 322,158 Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
Matosinhos 151,682 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Oeiras 151,342 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Ponta Delgada 61,989 PS / CDS–PP Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Portalegre 26,111 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Porto 302,472 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Santarém 62,621 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Santa Maria da Feira 135,964 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Santo Tirso 102,593 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Seixal 116,912 Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
Setúbal 103,634 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Sintra 260,951 PSD / CDS–PP / PPM Socialist Party (PS)
Viana do Castelo 83,095 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Socialist Party (PS)
Vila Franca de Xira 103,571 Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
Vila Nova de Famalicão 114,338 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Vila Nova de Gaia 248,565 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Vila Real 46,300 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Viseu 83,601 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)

Municipal Assemblies edit

National summary of votes and seats edit

Summary of the 12 December 1993 Municipal Assemblies elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing Candidacies Mandates
Total ±
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 111,834 2.07  0.0
Invalid ballots 85,042 1.57  0.1
Total 5,408,312 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 8,530,297 63.40  3.6
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições Archived 2017-12-06 at the Wayback Machine

Parish Assemblies edit

National summary of votes and seats edit

Summary of the 12 December 1993 Parish Assemblies elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing Candidacies Mandates Presidents
Total ± Total ±
Socialist 1,860,188 34.53  2.3 12,312  1,124
Social Democratic 1,810,841 33.62  0.7 13,679  442
Democratic Unity Coalition 714,001 13.26  0.8 2,747  177
People's 418,998 7.78  0.6 2,719  725
PS / CDU / UDP / PSR 199,275 3.70  0.2 447  55
Independents 123,351 2.29  0.4 1,234  225
National Solidarity 21,462 0.40 55
Earth 12,490 0.23 38
Socialist / People's 11,913 0.22  0.5 124  57
PS / CDU / UDP / PDA 10,593 0.20 80
People's Democratic Union 7,639 0.14  0.4 2  28
Portuguese Workers' Communist 3,820 0.07  0.0 1  1
Democratic Renewal 1,525 0.03  0.6 10  48
Portuguese Democratic Movement 1,163 0.02  0.2 8  5
People's Monarchist 306 0.01  0.0 2  7
Left Revolutionary Front 77 0.00 0
Total valid 5,197,642 96.49  0.1 33,458  458
Blank ballots 99,518 1.85  0.0
Invalid ballots 89,490 1.66  0.1
Total 5,386,650 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 8,530,297 63.15  7.9
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições Archived 2019-10-06 at the Wayback Machine

See also edit

References edit

  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.
  5. ^ "Quando o burro de Costa ganhou ao ferrari mas costa perdeu, Salvou se o casaco". Público (in Portuguese). 3 November 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Recenseamentos Gerais da População)". www.ine.pt (in Portuguese). Statistics Portugal. Retrieved 17 July 2021.

External links edit