1995 Portuguese legislative election

1995 Portuguese legislative election

← 1991 1 October 1995 1999 →

230 seats to the Portuguese Assembly
116 seats needed for a majority
Registered8,906,608 Increase5.3%
Turnout5,904,854 (66.3%)
Decrease1.5 pp
  First party Second party
 
Antonio Guterres 18 Jan 1996.jpeg
Picture of Fernando Nogueira.jpg
Leader António Guterres Fernando Nogueira
Party PS PSD
Leader since 23 February 1992 19 February 1995
Leader's seat Castelo Branco Porto
Last election 72 seats, 29.1% 135 seats, 50.6%
Seats won 112 88
Seat change Increase 40 Decrease 47
Popular vote 2,583,755 2,014,589
Percentage 43.8% 34.1%
Swing Increase 14.7 pp Decrease 16.5 pp

  Third party Fourth party
 
Carlos Carvalhas no XIX Congresso do PCP (cropped).png
Leader Manuel Monteiro Carlos Carvalhas
Party CDS–PP PCP
Alliance CDU
Leader since 22 March 1992 5 December 1992
Leader's seat Braga Lisbon
Last election 5 seats, 4.4% 17 seats, 8.8%
Seats won 15 15
Seat change Increase 10 Decrease 2
Popular vote 534,470 506,157
Percentage 9.1% 8.6%
Swing Increase 4.7 pp Decrease 0.2 pp


Prime Minister before election

Aníbal Cavaco Silva
PSD

Prime Minister after election

António Guterres
PS

The 1995 Portuguese legislative election took place on 1 October. The election renewed all 230 members of the Assembly of the Republic.

The incumbent prime minister, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, decided not to run for a fourth consecutive term[1] and the Social Democratic Party, choose Fernando Nogueira, one of Cavaco Silva's deputies, as leader and candidate for prime minister in a highly contested and bitter party congress in February 1995.[2] But, the PSD was weakened by the end of the 10-year cycle of governments led by Cavaco Silva, amid scandals and the 1994 25 April bridge riots that shocked the country.[3] During the campaign, Cavaco Silva toyed with the idea of running for the 1996 Presidential elections, which he ultimately did.[4]

The PS easily won the elections with 44 percent of the votes, against the 34 percent of the PSD, achieving their first general election victory since 1983 and after a decade in opposition, but missed the absolute majority by 4 MPs. António Guterres, elected as PS leader three years before, became prime minister. The Social Democratic Party suffered a heavy defeat, losing almost 50 seats and 17 percentage points. This election marked the growing bi-polarization of the Portuguese political map. The two minor parties, the People's Party and the Democratic Unity Coalition (CDU) achieved only 15 MPs each, and for the first time ever the CDU failed to win a single district.

Although turnout, in percentage point, was lower than the previous election in 1991, almost 6 million voters cast a ballot on election day, the highest figure since 1980. Voter turnout stood at 66.3 percent, the lowest until then.