2008 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership election
The 2008 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership election was held on 31 May 2008. This was a snap leadership election following the surprise resignation of then party leader Luís Filipe Menezes, elected just seven months before in September 2007, from the party's leadership.[1]
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Turnout | 59.1% ![]() | ||||||||||||||||
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Menezes was facing heavy internal criticism for his leadership and opposition strategy but, nonetheless, his resignation surprised party members and structures.[2] Four candidates entered in this snap race: Manuela Ferreira Leite, Pedro Passos Coelho, Pedro Santana Lopes and Mário Patinha Antão.
On election day, Ferreira Leite won the leadership by capturing almost 38% of the votes, while Passos Coelho got 31% of the votes and Santana Lopes polled just below 30%.[3] Patinha Antão polled well below 1%, just 0.7% of the party members votes.
Manuela Ferreira Leite became the first woman to lead a major political party in Portuguese history.[4]
Ferreira Leite would lead the PSD to victory in the 2009 European Parliament election in Portugal,[5] but was defeated in the 2009 general elections held in the fall of the same year.[6]
Candidates
Name | Born | Experience | Announcement date | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Manuela Ferreira Leite |
3 December 1940 (age 67) Lisbon |
Minister of Finance (2002–2004) Minister of Education (1993–1995) Member of Parliament for Lisbon (1999–2005); (2009–2011) Member of Parliament for Lisbon (1995–1999) |
28 April 2008 | [7] |
![]() Pedro Passos Coelho |
24 August 1964 (age 43) Coimbra |
Social Democratic Youth leader (1990–1995) Member of Parliament for Lisbon (1991–1999) |
18 April 2008 | [8] |
![]() Pedro Santana Lopes |
29 June 1956 (age 52) Lisbon |
Prime Minister (2004-2005) President of the Social Democratic Party (2004–2005) Mayor of Lisbon (2002-2004); (2005) Mayor of Figueira da Foz (1997-2001) Secretary of State of Culture (1990-1994) Member of Parliament for Lisbon (1980–1991); (1999–2002); (2005–2009) Member of the European Parliament (1987–1989) |
24 April 2008 | [9] |
Patinha Antão | 26 June 1945 (age 62) Loulé |
Member of Parliament for Braga (1999–2002) Member of Parliament for Faro (2002–2009) |
21 April 2008 | [10] |
Opinion polls
All voters
Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | ![]() |
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Others /Undecided |
Lead | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ferreira Leite | Passos Coelho | Santana Lopes | Patinha Antão | |||||
Marktest | 17–20 May 2008 | 800 | 27.3 | 12.2 | 9.6 | — | 50.9 | 15.1 |
PSD voters
Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | ![]() |
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Others /Undecided |
Lead | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ferreira Leite | Passos Coelho | Santana Lopes | Patinha Antão | |||||
Marktest | 17–20 May 2008 | 800 | 43.2 | 9.1 | 17.4 | — | 30.3 | 25.8 |
Results
Candidate | 31 May 2008 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | ||||
Manuela Ferreira Leite | 17,278 | 37.90 | |||
Pedro Passos Coelho | 14,160 | 31.06 | |||
Pedro Santana Lopes | 13,495 | 29.60 | |||
Patinha Antão | 308 | 0.68 | |||
Total | 45,241 | ||||
Valid votes | 45,241 | 99.23 | |||
Invalid and blank ballots | 351 | 0.77 | |||
Votes cast / turnout | 45,592 | 59.14 | |||
Registered voters | 77,090 | ||||
Sources: Official results |
See also
References
- "Menezes abandona liderança e convoca eleições", TVI24, 17 April 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- "Crise no PSD: distritais surpreendidas com Menezes", TVI24, 18 April 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- "Manuela Ferreira Leite é a nova líder do PSD", Jornal de Negócios, 31 May 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- "Manuela Ferreira Leite, a primeira mulher a dirigir o partido de Sá Carneiro - Perfil", RTP, 31 May 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- "Resultados oficiais: PSD ganha europeias", TVI24, 7 June 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- "PS vence com 36,56 por cento, mais 7,47 por cento que o PSD", TSF, 28 September 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- TVI24 (28 April 2008). "Manuela Ferreira Leite dá início à campanha". Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- Público (18 April 2008). "Passos Coelho é candidato às eleições no PSD". Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- TVI24 (24 April 2008). "Santana é candidato à liderança do PSD". Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- Público (21 April 2008). "PSD: Patinha Antão apresenta candidatura irreversível e para vencer". Retrieved 6 March 2022.