Portuguese legislative election, 1985
Encyclopedia
The Portuguese legislative election of 1985 took place on October 6. In June of the same year, the former Prime-Minister, Mário Soares
, had resigned from the job due to the lack of parliamentary support, the government was composed by a coalition of the two major parties, the center-right Social Democratic and the center-left Socialist, in what was called the Central Bloc, however this was an unstable balance of forces and several members of each party opposed such alliance. The new leader of the Social Democratic Party, Cavaco Silva
, elected in May, was among those that never supported such alliance, and short after being elected leader of the party made the coalition fall in July.
A new election was called by the President and the Social Democrats won with a short majority and Cavaco became the Prime-Minister. Meanwhile, a new party had been founded by supporters of the President
Ramalho Eanes, the Democratic Renovator Party
, led by Hermínio Martinho that surprisingly gained 45 MPs in the election and became the parliamentary support of the Cavaco's government until 1987, when it removed its support, making Cavaco fall. The Communists and the Socialists lost votes and MPs and the left would only return to the government ten years later, in 1995.
The major parties involved and the respective leaders:
Aníbal Cavaco Silva, leader of the Social Democratic Party, was nominated Prime Minister for the first time.
Mário Soares
Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares, GColTE, GCC, GColL, KE , Portuguese politician, served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1976 to 1978 and from 1983 to 1985, and subsequently as the 17th President of Portugal from 1986 to 1996.-Family:...
, had resigned from the job due to the lack of parliamentary support, the government was composed by a coalition of the two major parties, the center-right Social Democratic and the center-left Socialist, in what was called the Central Bloc, however this was an unstable balance of forces and several members of each party opposed such alliance. The new leader of the Social Democratic Party, Cavaco Silva
Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Aníbal António Cavaco Silva, GCC , is the President of Portugal. He won the Portuguese presidential election on 22 January 2006 and was re-elected on 23 January 2011, for a second five-year term. Cavaco Silva was sworn in on 9 March 2006....
, elected in May, was among those that never supported such alliance, and short after being elected leader of the party made the coalition fall in July.
A new election was called by the President and the Social Democrats won with a short majority and Cavaco became the Prime-Minister. Meanwhile, a new party had been founded by supporters of the President
President of Portugal
Portugal has been a republic since 1910, and since that time the head of state has been the president, whose official title is President of the Portuguese Republic ....
Ramalho Eanes, the Democratic Renovator Party
Democratic Renovator Party
The Democratic Renewal Party was a Portuguese political party, founded in 1985 with the political support of the until-then-independent President of the Republic, Ramalho Eanes. At the time of its foundation, it was meant to "moralize Portuguese political life" and the party positioned itself in...
, led by Hermínio Martinho that surprisingly gained 45 MPs in the election and became the parliamentary support of the Cavaco's government until 1987, when it removed its support, making Cavaco fall. The Communists and the Socialists lost votes and MPs and the left would only return to the government ten years later, in 1995.
The major parties involved and the respective leaders:
- United People AllianceUnited People AllianceThe United People Alliance , was an electoral and political coalition between the Portuguese Communist Party and the Portuguese Democratic Movement...
(APU), Álvaro CunhalÁlvaro CunhalÁlvaro Barreirinhas Cunhal, who used the name Álvaro Cunhal , was a Portuguese politician. He was one of the major opponents of the dictatorial regime of Estado Novo. He served as secretary-general of the Portuguese Communist Party from 1961 to 1992... - Portuguese Socialist PartySocialist Party (Portugal)The Socialist Party , abbreviated to PS, is a social-democratic political party in Portugal. It was founded on 19 April 1973 in the German city of Bad Münstereifel, by militants from Portuguese Socialist Action ....
(PS), Almeida Santos - Democratic Renovator PartyDemocratic Renovator PartyThe Democratic Renewal Party was a Portuguese political party, founded in 1985 with the political support of the until-then-independent President of the Republic, Ramalho Eanes. At the time of its foundation, it was meant to "moralize Portuguese political life" and the party positioned itself in...
(PRD), Hermínio Martinho - Social Democratic PartySocial Democratic Party (Portugal)The Social Democratic Party , is a centre-right liberal conservative political party in Portugal. It is commonly known by its initials, PSD; on ballot papers, its initials appear as PPD/PSD, with the first three letters coming from the party's original name, Democratic People's Party...
(PSD), Cavaco SilvaAníbal Cavaco SilvaAníbal António Cavaco Silva, GCC , is the President of Portugal. He won the Portuguese presidential election on 22 January 2006 and was re-elected on 23 January 2011, for a second five-year term. Cavaco Silva was sworn in on 9 March 2006.... - Democratic Social Center (CDS), Lucas Pires
Aníbal Cavaco Silva, leader of the Social Democratic Party, was nominated Prime Minister for the first time.
External links
See also
- Politics of PortugalPolitics of PortugalPolitics in Portugal take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. The President of the Republic is the head of state and has several significant political powers, which he...
- List of political parties in Portugal
- Elections in PortugalElections in PortugalElections in Portugal gives information on election and election results in Portugal.Only the elections since the Carnation Revolution of 1974 are listed here. During the period encompassing the Constitutional Monarchy and the First Republic there were also elections, but only for a limited...