2001 Portuguese local elections
16 December 2001
All 308 Portuguese municipalities and 4,260 Portuguese Parishes
All 2,044 local government councils
Turnout60.1% Increase 0.0 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Jose Manuel Barroso, EU-kommissionens ordforande, under ett mote i Folketinget 2006-05-19 (1).jpg
António Guterres.jpg
Carlos Carvalhas no XIX Congresso do PCP (cropped).png
Leader José Manuel Barroso António Guterres Carlos Carvalhas
Party PSD PS PCP
Alliance CDU
Last election 127 mayors, 35.8% 128 mayors, 41.3% 41 mayors, 12.0%
Popular vote 2,167,587 1,948,520 557,481
Percentage 41.2% 37.1% 10.6%
Swing Increase 5.4 pp Decrease 4.2 pp Decrease 1.4 pp
Mayors 159 113 28
Mayors +/– Increase 32 Decrease 15 Decrease 13
Councillors 912 852 199
Councillors +/– Increase 98 Decrease 27 Decrease 37

The Portuguese local elections of 2001 took place on 16 December. The elections consisted of three separate elections in the 308 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.

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) won the elections by a landslide, defying polls in many cities across the country in particular the three main cities, Lisbon, Porto and Sintra.[1] The victory of the PSD in these local election was the first since 1985, the last time the PSD won more mayors than the Socialists, although in 1997, the PS and PSD basically tied in number of elected mayors. The PSD won 11 of the 20 district capitals mainly Lisbon, won by Pedro Santana Lopes, and Porto, won by Rui Rio, plus many suburban cities like Sintra, Cascais, Vila Nova de Famalicão and Penafiel swung also to the Social Democrats.

The Socialist Party (PS) was the biggest loser of these elections. After 6 years in power governing without an absolute majority and adding to this a bad economy, the PS hopes of maintaining the largest number of mayors were slashed. The defeat was worse than expected because of loses in the main cities of Lisbon and Porto, where polls showed the PS with a solid lead. Because of the bad results of the party and a prospect of political instability, Prime Minister António Guterres resigned on election night stating that the country should not fall in "a political swamp".

The election was also very bad for Democratic Unity Coalition (CDU) in which they achieved their worst result in local elections till that date. The Communist-Green alliance lost 13 mayoral races plus 37 councillors and lost big cities like Évora and Loures to the PS. The People's Party also had a poor showing losing 5 cities, although this time they celebrated more coalitions with the PSD. On the other hands, the election returns were quite good for other smaller parties: the Left Bloc (BE) won 1 city (Salvaterra de Magos) from CDU and the Earth Party won Celorico da Beira from the PS. Independent movements were also allowed to run in these elections for the first time and won 3 cities.

Turnout in these elections remained unchanged in comparison with the 1997 election, as 60.1% of the electorate cast a ballot.

After these elections, a snap general election was called for March 2002.

Parties

Official logo of the election.

The main political forces involved in the election were:

1 The PSD and the CDS–PP formed coalitions in several municipalities. In some municipalities the PSD or CDS–PP also formed coalitions with PPM.
2 The PS formed also some coalitions with the CDS–PP and a coalition with CDU in Lisbon.

Results

Municipal Councils

National summary of votes and seats

Summary of the 16 December 2001 Municipal Councils elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing Candidacies Councillors Mayors
Total ± Total ±
Socialist 1,792,69034.12Decrease4.0295829Decrease40113Decrease14
Social Democratic 1,488,89728.22Decrease4.5263774Decrease29142Increase15
Democratic Unity Coalition 557,48110.61Decrease1.4300199Decrease3728Decrease13
Social Democratic / People's 472,5818.99Increase6.038114Increase10315Increase15
People's 195,1983.72Decrease1.919539Decrease443Decrease5
Social Democratic / PPM 131,1352.50—18—1—
Socialist / Democratic Unity Coalition 130,2792.48Decrease0.618Decrease20Decrease1
Independents 84,0101.60—2231—3—
PSD / CDS–PP / PPM 67,0941.28—210—1—
Left Bloc 61,7891.18—706—1—
Socialist / People's 25,5510.49—715—0—
Portuguese Workers' Communist 17,5410.33Decrease0.0220Steady00Steady0
Earth 12,5680.24Increase0.2194Increase21Increase1
People's / Social Democratic 7,8800.15—36—0—
People's Democratic Union 5,3180.10Decrease0.3110Steady00Steady0
People's / People's Monarchist 4,2890.08—31—0—
Humanist 3,0190.06—70—0—
People's / Socialist 2,0100.04—12—0—
National Renovator 8770.02—20—0—
People's Monarchist 2940.01Decrease0.110Decrease50Decrease1
Total valid 5,061,297 96.33 Increase0.2 — 2,044 Increase21 308 Increase3
Blank ballots 114,8342.19Steady0.0
Invalid ballots 78,0491.49Decrease0.1
Total 5,254,180 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 8,738,90660.12Increase0.0
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições Archived 2017-03-02 at the Wayback Machine

Municipality map

Most voted parties or coalitions in each Municipality. Municipalities won by:
■ - PSD: 142
■ - PS: 113
■ - CDU: 28
■ - BE: 1
■ - CDS–PP: 3
■ - PSD coalitions: 17
■ - MPT: 1
■ - Independents: 3

City control

The following table lists party control in all district capitals, as well as in municipalities above 100,000 inhabitants. Population estimates from the 2001 Census.[2]

Municipality Population Previous control New control
Almada 160,825 Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
Amadora 175,872 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Aveiro 73,335 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Barcelos 122,096 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Beja 35,762 Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
Braga 169,192 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Bragança 34,750 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Cascais 170,683 Socialist Party (PS) PSD / CDS–PP
Castelo Branco 55,708 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Coimbra 148,443 Socialist Party (PS) PSD / CDS–PP / PPM
Évora 56,519 Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) Socialist Party (PS)
Faro 58,051 Socialist Party (PS) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Funchal 103,961 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Gondomar 159,096 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Guarda 43,822 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Guimarães 159,576 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Leiria 119,847 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Lisbon 564,657 PS / CDU PSD / PPM
Loures 199,059 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Maia 120,111 Social Democratic Party (PSD) PSD / CDS–PP
Matosinhos 167,026 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Odivelas 133,847 Municipality created Socialist Party (PS)
Oeiras 162,128 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Ponta Delgada 65,854 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Portalegre 25,980 Socialist Party (PS) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Porto 263,131 Socialist Party (PS) PSD / CDS–PP
Santarém 63,563 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Santa Maria da Feira 135,964 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Seixal 150,271 Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
Setúbal 113,934 Socialist Party (PS) Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU)
Sintra 363,749 Socialist Party (PS) PSD / CDS–PP
Viana do Castelo 88,631 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Vila Franca de Xira 122,908 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Vila Nova de Famalicão 127,567 Socialist Party (PS) PSD / CDS–PP
Vila Nova de Gaia 288,749 Social Democratic Party (PSD) PSD / CDS–PP
Vila Real 49,957 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Viseu 93,501 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)

Municipal Assemblies

National summary of votes and seats

Summary of the 16 December 2001 Municipal Assemblies elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing Candidacies Mandates
Total ±
Socialist 1,788,089 34.03 Decrease3.8 2,721 Decrease166
Social Democratic 1,430,532 27.23 Decrease3.2 2,468 Decrease111
Democratic Unity Coalition 585,426 11.14 Decrease1.3 709 Decrease89
Social Democratic / People's 486,936 9.27 Increase6.2 427 Increase392
People's 226,774 4.32 Decrease3.1 253 Decrease184
Socialist / Democratic Unity Coalition 129,852 2.47 Decrease0.6 24 Decrease6
Social Democratic / PPM 124,457 2.37 — 23 —
Left Bloc 80,520 1.53 — 28 —
PSD / CDS–PP / PPM 64,430 1.23 — 40 —
Independents 60,919 1.16 — 93 —
Socialist / People's 26,174 0.50 — 40 —
Earth 12,694 0.24 Increase0.1 18 Increase13
Portuguese Workers' Communist 7,863 0.15 Decrease0.1 1 Steady0
People's / Social Democratic 6,943 0.13 — 19 —
People's Democratic Union 5,800 0.11 Decrease0.4 2 Steady0
People's / People's Monarchist 4,425 0.08 — 3 —
People's / Socialist 2,302 0.04 — 7 —
National Renovator 779 0.01 — 0 —
People's Monarchist 436 0.01 Decrease0.1 0 Decrease16
Humanist 155 0.00 — 0 —
Total valid 5,045,506 96.02 Increase0.2 — 6,876 Increase69
Blank ballots 130,3592.48Decrease0.1
Invalid ballots 78,5781.50Decrease0.1
Total 5,254,443 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 8,738,90660.13Increase0.0
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições Archived 2017-08-05 at the Wayback Machine

Parish Assemblies

National summary of votes and seats

Summary of the 16 December 2001 Parish Assemblies elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing Candidacies Mandates Presidents
Total ± Total ±
Socialist 1,775,53133.85Decrease2.73,57813,195Decrease4351,523
Social Democratic 1,392,01926.54Decrease3.73,07312,148Decrease8121,649
Democratic Unity Coalition 586,84411.19Decrease1.22,1392,466Decrease265232
Social Democratic / People's 431,0028.22Increase3.55442,124Increase1,486215
Independents 232,8614.44Increase1.66962,407Increase813311
People's 189,8383.62Decrease1.81,090970Decrease87079
Socialist / Democratic Unity Coalition 132,9182.53Decrease0.753309Decrease9935
Social Democratic / PPM 121,2592.31—53265—18—
PSD / CDS–PP / PPM 60,2951.15—82302—32—
Left Bloc 57,3611.09—28646—6—
Socialist / People's 25,5830.49—35112—2—
Earth 8,6260.16Increase0.156120Increase8118
People's / Social Democratic 6,9660.13—1867—8—
People's Democratic Union 5,2990.10Decrease0.2497Increase10
Portuguese Workers' Communist 4,9610.09Steady0.0271Decrease10
People's / People's Monarchist 4,7140.09—364—0—
People's / Socialist 2,3260.04—825—1—
Humanist 2200.00—20—0—
People's Monarchist 980.00Decrease0.111Decrease790
Total valid 5,038,721 96.05 Increase0.1 — 34,569 Increase616 4,129
Blank ballots 120,6652.30Increase0.1
Invalid ballots 86,4091.65Decrease0.2
Total (turnout 60.03%) 5,245,795 100.00 Increase0.2
Registered voters/turnout 8,738,90660.03Increase0.3
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições Archived 2017-08-05 at the Wayback Machine Autárquicas 2001

See also

References

  1. ↑ Público (22 December 2001). "O povo contra as sondagens". Público (in Portuguese). Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  2. ↑ "Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Recenseamentos Gerais da População)". www.ine.pt (in Portuguese). Statistics Portugal. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
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