Abstract
Portugal joined the European Community (EC) together with Spain on 1 January 1986. The first Portuguese MEPs were elected on 19 July 1987, coinciding with early legislative elections, in a by-election of the 1984 European Parliament (EP) elections. Finally, in 1989, Portuguese MEPs were elected simultaneously with MEPs of the other member states. In 1987, Portugal was able to elect 24 MEPs, and after the ratification of the Treaty of the European Union in 1993, this number increased to 25. However in 2004, the number declined again to 24 and in 2009 to 22. This reduction was due to intergovernmental negotiations in the Nice Treaty in order to adjust for the substantial increase of MEPs coming from Central and Eastern European enlargement and at the same keep a ceiling to the total number of MEPs.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bloco da Esquerda (BE) (2009) Websites of the party, last accessed on 2 August 2009.
Centro Democrático Social-Partido Popular (CDS-PP) (2009)Dar Tudo por Portugal. Manifesto Eleitoral do CDS-PP posted on its website, last accessed on 2 August 2009.
Comissão Nacional de Eleições (CNE) Website of National Commission of Elections, last accessed 2 August 2009.
European Parliament (2009a) Office in Portugal, last accessed 2 August 2009.
European Parliament (2009b) European Elections. Pre-electoral survey. Date of fieldwork 4 May–15 May 2009 posted on website, last accessed on 3 August 2009.
European Parliament (2009c) Database of MEPs electronically available on website, last accessed on 4 August 2009.
Eurobarometer, 2008: Eurobarometer, 71.1., country file Portugal fieldwork conducted between 26 January and 13 February 2009 posted on last accessed on 4 August 2009.
Expresso online (2009) Special file Portugal 2009 posted on website. expresso.pt, last accessed 7 and 8 June 2009.
Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (INE)(2009) Website, last accessed on 1 August 2009.
Lei Eleitoral para o Parlamento Europeu (1987) Law 14/87 of 29 April (changed in 1987, 1999 and 2005) posted on the website of the Commission of National Elections, last accessed on 2 August 2009.
Lobo, Marina Costa (2003) ‘A elite partidária em Portugal 1976–2002. Dirigentes, deputados e membros do Governo’ in António Costa Pinto, André Freire (eds) Elites, sociedade e mudança política, Lisboa: Celta Editora, pp. 249–275.
Magalhães, P. (2002) Whatever Happened to Portuguese Euroscepticism? The Depoliticization of Europe and Its Consequences. Paper Presented at the Conference European Union, Nation-State and the Quality of Democracy: Lessons from Southern Europe. University of California at Berkeley October 31- November 1. Working paper PRI-3 posted at, last accessed 2 June 2010.
Magalhães, P. and M. Costa Lobo (s.n.) Room for Manoeuvre: Euroscepticism in the Portuguese Parties and Electorate, 1976–2005. Unpublished paper, last accessed on 2 August 2009.
Magone, J. M. (2004) The Developing Place of Portugal in the European Union, New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction.
Magone, J. M. (2005) ‘Portugal’, in Juliet Lodge (ed.) European Parliament Elections 2004, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 210–218.
Magone, J. M. (2006) ‘The Rise and Fall of the Centre-Right Coalition Government in Portugal (2002–2005)’, in Lusotopie 13 (1): 39–59.
Magone, J. M. (2008) Democracia neopatrimonial e corrupção politica, in L. de Sousa, J. Triães (Hg.) Corrupção e os Portugueses. Atitudes-praticas-valores. Rui Costa Pinto, Lisbon (Portugal) 101–130.
Magone, J. M. (2009) Contemporary Spanish Politics, 2nd edition, London: Routledge. Movimento Esperança Portugal (MEP) (2009) Website of the party. pt, last accessed on 3 August 2009.
Movimento Mérito e Sociedade(MMS)(2009) Website of the party. pt, last accessed on 3 August 2009.
Movimento Partido da Terra (MPT) Website, last accessed on 3 August 2009.
O Público online (2009) Special file on European Parliament elections 2009 posted on website, last accessed on 7 and 8 June 2009 and 3 August 2009.
Partido Comunista Português-Partido Os Verdes (PCP-PEV) (2009) Declaração Programática do PCP para as Eleições Europeias 2009 posted on the website of the PCP-PEV on 2 August 2009.
Partido Comunista dos Trabalhadores Portugueses-Movimento Reorganizativo do Partido do Proletariado (PCTP-MRPP) (2009) Website, last accessed on 2 August 2009.
Party of European Socialists (PSE) (2009) People First: A New Direction for Europe. PES Manifesto June posted on, last accessed on 2 August 2009. Partido Humanista (PH) (2009) Website of party, last accessed on 2 August 2009.
Partido Nacional Renovador (PNR) (2009) Website of party, last accessed on 3 August 2009.
Partido Operário de Unidade Socialista (POUS) (2009) Website. no.sapo.pt, last accessed on 2 August 2009.
Partido Popular Monárquico (PPM) Linhas programáticas da Candidatura do PPM ao Parlamento Europeu 2009 posted on, last accessed on 3 August 2009.
Partido Socialdemocrata (PSD) (2009) Contrato Europeu com os Portugueses. Eu assino por baixo posted on the website politicadaverdade.com, last accessed 2 August 2009.
Partido Socialista (PS) (2009) As Pessoas estão primeiro. Delegação Portuguesa do Grupo Socialista do Parlamento Europeu posted on website of the Portuguese Socialist Party, last accessed on 2 August 2009.
Rádio Televisão Portuguesa (RTP) (2009) Video of European debate of representatives of all 13 parties which took place on 14 May 2009 posted on website, last accessed on 3 August 2009.
Serviço de estrangeiros e fronteiras (2007) Relatório de Actividades 2007. Imigração, Fronteiras e Asilo. Lisboa: Serviço de estrangeiros e fronteiras, website, last accessed on 4 June 2009.
Torres, F. (2009) ‘Back to External Pressure: Policy Response to the Financial Crisis in Portugal’, South European Society and Politics 14 (1): 55–70.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2010 José M. Magone
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Magone, J.M. (2010). Portugal. In: Lodge, J. (eds) The 2009 Elections to the European Parliament. EU Election Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230297272_24
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230297272_24
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-31141-5
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-29727-2
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)