A presidential election was held in Portugal on 22 January 2006 to elect a successor to the incumbent President Jorge Sampaio, who was term-limited from running for a third consecutive term by the Constitution of Portugal. The result was a victory in the first round for Aníbal Cavaco Silva of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) candidate, the former Prime Minister, won 50.54 percent of the vote in the first round, just over the majority required to avoid a runoff election.
It was the first time in which a right-wing candidate was elected President of the Republic since the 1974 Carnation Revolution. This election would start a period of 20 years where the PSD held the presidency.
Voter turnout was 62 percent. Cavaco Silva was sworn in as President on 9 March 2006.
Background
In the presidential election of 14 January 2001, the outgoing Socialist Jorge Sampaio was re-elected in the first round with 55 percent of votes. Because he was term-limited, he was forbidden by the Constitution to run for a third consecutive term.
In the parliamentary elections of 20 February 2005, the Socialist Party, led by José Sócrates, won for the first time in its history an absolute majority of seats, while the Social Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Pedro Santana Lopes fell below 30 percent, their worst result since 1983.
To cope with the bad fiscal situation, the government introduced a policy of fiscal restraint, combining higher taxes, lower public treatments and privatizations. Adding to this, a bad summer in terms of wildfires put more pressure in the government. This policies were not popular and as a result, the Socialists were defeated in the local elections on 9 October 2005. In the follow-up for the presidential election, the Socialists decided to nominate their former secretary-general, Mário Soares, President of the Republic between 1986 and 1996. This decision divided the party, which led Manuel Alegre, a member from the party's parliamentary group, to announce his candidacy as an independent. The Social Democratic Party opted to support their former leader Aníbal Cavaco Silva, Prime Minister btetween 1985 ad 1995, and defeated presidential candidate in 1996.
Electoral system
Any Portuguese citizen over 35 years old has the opportunity to run for president. In order to do so it is necessary to gather between 7,500 and 15,000 signatures and submit them to the Portuguese Constitutional Court.
According to the Portuguese Constitution, to be elected, a candidate needs a majority of votes. If no candidate gets this majority there will take place a second round between the two most voted candidates.
Candidates
Thirteen citizens sought election officially, but only six gathered the 7,500 signatures required under the constitution to be a candidate in the poll. All the candidates except for Cavaco Silva are considered to be from the Portuguese political left.
Official candidates
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="2" |Candidate
!Party support
!Political office(s)
! style="max-width:20em;" |Details
|-
|Aníbal Cavaco Silva (66)
|108x108px
| align="left" |
|Prime Minister <small>(1985–1995)</small><br>President of the Social Democratic Party <small>(1985–1995)</small><br>Minister of Finance <small>(1980–1981)</small>
|Social Democratic Party (PSD) member; candidate in the 1996 presidential election, finishing second with 46.1% of the votes.
|-
|Manuel Alegre (69)
|104x104px
| align="left" |
|Vice President of the Assembly of the Republic <small>(1995–2009)</small><br>Member of the Assembly of the Republic <small>(1975–2009)</small><br>Member of the Council of State <small>(1996–2002; 2005–2015)</small><br>Secretary of State Adjunct of the Prime Minister <small>(1977–1978)</small><br>Secretary of State for Social Communication <small>(1976–1977)</small>
|Socialist Party (PS) member, failed to receive the support of the party; writer and poet.
|-
|Mário Soares (81)
|102x102px
| align="left" |
|Member of the European Parliament <small>(1999–2004)</small><br>President of the Republic <small>(1986–1996)</small><br>Prime Minister <small>(1976–1978; 1983–1985)</small><br>Secretary-general of the Socialist Party <small>(1973–1985)</small><br>Minister without portfolio <small>(1975)</small><br>Minister of Foreign Affairs <small>(1974–1975)</small><br>Member of the Assembly of the Republic <small>(1975–1986)</small>
|Former President after winning the 1986 presidential election in the second round with 51.2% of the votes, and after being reelected in the 1991 presidential election with 70.4% of the votes; eligible for a third non-consecutive term.
|-
|Jerónimo de Sousa (58)
|120x120px
| align="left" |
|Secretary-general of the Portuguese Communist Party <small>(2004–2022)</small><br>Member of the Assembly of the Republic <small>(1976–2022)</small>
|Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) member; candidate in the 1996 presidential election, withrew before the ballot.
|-
|Francisco Louçã (49)
|120x120px
| align="left" |
|Coordinator of the Left Bloc <small>(1999–2012)</small><br>Member of the Assembly of the Republic <small>(1999–2012)</small>
|Left Bloc (BE) founding member; former Socialist Revolutionary Party leader.
|-
|António Garcia Pereira (53)
|93x93px
| align="left" |
|Secretary-general of the Portuguese Workers' Communist Party <small>(1982–2015)</small>
|Portuguese Workers' Communist Party (PCTP/MRPP) member; lawyer; candidate in the 2001 presidential election; finished fifth with 1.6% of the votes.
|}
Unsuccessful candidacies
thumb|Official logo of the election.
The other potential candidates who, according to the Constitutional Court, did not gather enough signatures, were:
- Josué Rodrigues Gonçalo Pedro;
- Luís Filipe Guerra – leader of the Humanist Party;
- Teresa Lameiro;
- Manuela Magno – nuclear physicist;
- Carmelinda Pereira – leader of the Workers Party of Socialist Unity (POUS);
- Luís Botelho Ribeiro;
- Diamantino da Silva;
Campaign period
Party slogans
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:left;"
|-
! style="text-align:left;" colspan="2"| Candidate
! Original slogan
! English translation
! Refs
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| Aníbal Cavaco Silva
| « Portugal Maior »
| "Greater Portugal"
|
|-
| width="1" bgcolor=""|
| Mário Soares
| « Sempre presente nos momentos difíceis »
| "Always present in difficult times"
|
|-
| bgcolor=";"|
| António Garcia Pereira
| « A coragem de mudar de rumo »
| "The courage to change course"
|
|-
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| 8 Dec 2005
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| RTP1
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"|
| style="background:#FFD0D0;"|N
| style="background:#D0FFD0;"|P
| style="background:#FFD0D0;"|N
| style="background:#D0FFD0;"|P
| style="background:#FFD0D0;"|N
|
|}
Results
National summary
Results by district
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right; font-size:95%"
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" | District
! colspan="2" | Cavaco
! colspan="2" | Alegre
! colspan="2" | Soares
! colspan="2" | Jerónimo
! colspan="2" | Louçã
! colspan="2" | Garcia Pereira
! rowspan="2" | Turnout
|-
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Aveiro
| ; color:#000;" | 228,343
| ; color:#000;" | 59.74%
| 68,101
| 17.82%
| 51,696
| 13.52%
| 16,209
| 4.24%
| 16,668
| 4.36%
| 1,222
| 0.32%
| 65.06%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Azores
| ; color:#000;" | 45,065
| ; color:#000;" | 55.57%
| 13,424
| 16.55%
| 16,001
| 19.73%
| 2,250
| 2.77%
| 4,018
| 4.95%
| 345
| 0.43%
| 43.04%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Beja
| 21,708
| 27.33%
| 21,235
| 26.74%
| 10,633
| 13.39%
| style="background:#F1A09E"; color:#000;" | 21,685
| style="background:#F1A09E"; color:#000;" | 27.53%
| 3,649
| 4.59%
| 336
| 0.42%
| 58.41%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Braga
| ; color:#000;" | 266,000
| ; color:#000;" | 56.98%
| 76,836
| 16.46%
| 73,257
| 15.69%
| 26,618
| 5.70%
| 22,661
| 4.85%
| 1,464
| 0.31%
| 67.61%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Bragança
| ; color:#000;" | 53,747
| ; color:#000;" | 67.30%
| 12,714
| 15.92%
| 8,554
| 10.71%
| 2,183
| 2.73%
| 2,410
| 3.02%
| 253
| 0.32%
| 53.91%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Castelo Branco
| ; color:#000;" | 56,618
| ; color:#000;" | 49.70%
| 26,401
| 23.17%
| 18,130
| 15.91%
| 6,799
| 5.97%
| 5,513
| 4.84%
| 466
| 0.41%
| 61.37%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Coimbra
| ; color:#000;" | 113,320
| ; color:#000;" | 49.22%
| 62,908
| 27.32%
| 30,199
| 13.12%
| 13,157
| 5.71%
| 9,836
| 4.27%
| 830
| 0.36%
| 62.02%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Évora
| ; color:#000;" | 28,166
| ; color:#000;" | 31.48%
| 24,334
| 27.19%
| 12,857
| 14.37%
| 19,836
| 22.17%
| 3,982
| 4.45%
| 305
| 0.34%
| 61.97%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Faro
| ; color:#000;" | 93,021
| ; color:#000;" | 48.72%
| 44,268
| 23.18%
| 24,946
| 13.06%
| 14,540
| 7.61%
| 13,107
| 6.86%
| 1,064
| 0.56%
| 59.92%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Guarda
| ; color:#000;" | 58,568
| ; color:#000;" | 60.33%
| 18,984
| 19.55%
| 11,557
| 11.90%
| 3,964
| 4.08%
| 3,608
| 3.72%
| 400
| 0.41%
| 58.26%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Leiria
| ; color:#000;" | 151,956
| ; color:#000;" | 62.30%
| 42,424
| 17.39%
| 25,022
| 10.26%
| 12,324
| 5.05%
| 11,238
| 4.61%
| 955
| 0.39%
| 64.14%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Lisbon
| ; color:#000;" | 498,470
| ; color:#000;" | 44.62%
| 266,680
| 23.87%
| 161,411
| 14.45%
| 119,116
| 10.66%
| 64,877
| 5.81%
| 6,497
| 0.58%
| 63.84%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Madeira
| ; color:#000;" | 76,598
| ; color:#000;" | 58.47%
| 20,601
| 15.72%
| 15,595
| 11.90%
| 6,757
| 5.16%
| 10,206
| 7.79%
| 1,252
| 0.96%
| 58.19%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Portalegre
| ; color:#000;" | 24,544
| ; color:#000;" | 37.80%
| 17,184
| 26.46%
| 10,609
| 16.34%
| 9,355
| 14.41%
| 2,988
| 4.60%
| 254
| 0.39%
| 60.96%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Porto
| ; color:#000;" | 487,852
| ; color:#000;" | 51.29%
| 169,741
| 17.84%
| 168,772
| 17.74%
| 65,668
| 6.90%
| 55,959
| 5.88%
| 3,262
| 0.34%
| 66.16%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Santarém
| ; color:#000;" | 115,032
| ; color:#000;" | 47.75%
| 56,585
| 23.49%
| 31,244
| 12.97%
| 23,408
| 9.72%
| 13,513
| 5.61%
| 1,119
| 0.46%
| 63.19%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Setúbal
| ; color:#000;" | 129,053
| ; color:#000;" | 32.14%
| 109,052
| 27.16%
| 49,228
| 12.26%
| 85,117
| 21.20%
| 27,063
| 6.74%
| 1,984
| 0.49%
| 61.92%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Viana do Castelo
| ; color:#000;" | 83,542
| ; color:#000;" | 60.64%
| 22,108
| 16.05%
| 18,816
| 13.66%
| 6,616
| 4.80%
| 6,145
| 4.46%
| 530
| 0.38%
| 59.47%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Vila Real
| ; color:#000;" | 78,465
| ; color:#000;" | 64.61%
| 17,656
| 14.54%
| 17,131
| 14.11%
| 4,065
| 3.35%
| 3,738
| 3.08%
| 392
| 0.32%
| 55.17%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Viseu
| ; color:#000;" | 136,621
| ; color:#000;" | 65.68%
| 33,841
| 16.27%
| 23,123
| 11.22%
| 6,660
| 3.20%
| 7,082
| 3.40%
| 692
| 0.33%
| 58.87%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Overseas
| ; color:#000;" | 12,048
| ; color:#000;" | 64.63%
| 2,395
| 12.85%
| 2,732
| 14.66%
| 853
| 4.58%
| 495
| 2.66%
| 118
| 0.63%
| 10.07%
|- class="sortbottom"
| colspan="15" style="text-align:left;" | Source: 2006 Presidential election results
|}
Maps
<gallery mode="packed" heights="330">
File:Pt plelection pr 2006.PNG|Strongest candidate by electoral district. (Azores and Madeira not shown)
File:Presidenciais 2006 (Mapa).png|Strongest candidate by municipality.
</gallery>
Notes
References
External links
- Portuguese Electoral Commission
- Official results site, Portuguese Justice Ministry
- NSD: European Election Database - Portugal publishes regional level election data; allows for comparisons of election results, 1990–2010
fr:Élections présidentielles portugaises#2006