2014 European Parliament election in Portugal

The 2014 European Parliament election in Portugal elected the Portuguese delegation to the European Parliament from 2014 to 2019. This was the seventh European Parliament election held in Portugal. The elections were held on Sunday, 25 May 2014.

2014 European Parliament election in Portugal

25 May 2014

All 21 Portuguese seats to the European Parliament
Turnout33.7% 3.1 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Francisco Assis Paulo Rangel João Ferreira
Party PS AP CDU
Alliance S&D EPP GUE/NGL
Last election 7 seats, 26.6% 10 seats, 40.1% 2 seats, 10.6%
Seats won 8 7 3
Seat change 1 3 1
Popular vote 1,034,249 910,647 416,925
Percentage 31.5% 27.7% 12.7%
Swing 4.9 pp 12.4 pp 2.0 pp

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Marinho e Pinto Marisa Matias Rui Tavares
Party Earth BE L
Alliance ALDE GUE/NGL Green
Last election 0 seats, 0.7% 3 seats, 10.7% Did not contest
Seats won 2 1 0
Seat change 2 2 New party
Popular vote 234,788 149,764 71,495
Percentage 7.2% 4.6% 2.2%
Swing 6.5 pp 6.2 pp New party

The Socialist Party (PS) was the winner of the elections, scoring 31.5% of the votes. The Socialists increased their share of vote by almost 5%, and won one more seat compared with 2009. However, the PS victory was much more weaker than what polls predicted, as the margin between them and the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and CDS – People's Party (CDS) coalition was below 4%. Because of this worse than expected result, the PS would enter in a leadership contest just weeks after the election.

The PSD/CDS contested the election in a coalition called "Portugal Alliance". The coalition achieved one of the worst results ever, as PSD+CDS never polled below 30%, but the weak result by the coalition was softened by the close margin between them and the Socialists.

The Democratic Unity Coalition (CDU) scored their best result since 1989, polling almost 13% of the vote and winning one more seat compared with 2009. On the other hand, the Left Bloc (BE) suffered a huge defeat by erasing their 2009 historic results. The BE won 4.6% of the votes, a drop of more than 6%, and was only able to elect their top candidate Marisa Matias, compared with the three seats they won in 2009.

The big surprise of the elections was the extraordinary result of the Earth Party (MPT). Headed by the former bar association chairman António Marinho e Pinto, MPT won 7.2% of the votes and was able to elect two members to the European Parliament. To add also, that LIVRE, headed by BE dissident Rui Tavares, was not able to win a seat, although scoring 2.2%.

Turnout fell to the lowest level ever, with only 33.7% of voters casting a ballot.

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