Democratic Alliance (Portugal, 2024)

For the 1979 political alliance, see Democratic Alliance (Portugal, 1979).
AD – Democratic Alliance
AD – Aliança Democrática
AbbreviationPPD/PSD.CDS–PP.PPM[a]
AD[b]
LeaderLuís Montenegro
FounderLuís Montenegro
Nuno Melo
Gonçalo da Câmara Pereira
Founded7 January 2024
Ideology
Political positionCentre-right to right-wing
National affiliationPSD
CDS–PP
PPM
European affiliationEuropean People's Party
European Christian Political Movement
Colours  Blue
  Orange
Election symbol
Party flag
Website
ad2024.pt

The AD – Democratic Alliance (Portuguese: AD – Aliança Democrática, AD) is a centre-right political alliance in Portugal. Composed of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), CDS – People's Party (CDS–PP) and People's Monarchist Party (PPM), the alliance is a relaunch of the eponymous alliance which contested elections between 1979 and 1983.

First attempts

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa led an attempt to establish a new Democratic Alliance in 1998, between the PSD and the People's Party (CDS–PP; the former CDS), led by Paulo Portas. It contested the 2004 European elections as Força Portugal, but was subsequently dissolved. However, both the PSD and CDS–PP later agreed to contest the 2014 European elections under a joint list called the Portugal Alliance.

In the 2015 legislative election, PSD and CDS-PP ran together in a coalition called Portugal Ahead.

The Democratic Alliance was revived in the Azores only to contest the 2022 elections. The coalition polled second with 34% of the votes and elected two MPs to Parliament.[1]

2024 Democratic Alliance

After the 2022 legislative election and for the first time in history, CDS–PP failed to win any seats and was wiped out of parliament. In December 2023, Luís Montenegro and Nuno Melo announced a coalition for the 2024 legislative and European Parliament elections, including the Social Democratic Party (PPD/PSD), the CDS – People's Party (CDS–PP) and some independent politicians under the name Democratic Alliance (AD).[2] At first, the People's Monarchist Party (PPM) refused to join the alliance, citing the "weakness" and "lack of vision" of its leaders,[3] but they later rescinded this position and joined the coalition.[4] The agreement for the coalition was signed on 7 January 2024 between Luís Montenegro, Nuno Melo and Gonçalo da Câmara Pereira, with Miguel Guimarães, former President of the Order of Physicians, representing the independents that are also present in the coalition.[5]

This coalition granted CDS–PP two easily eligible seats and four potentially eligible seats, thus making the return of CDS-PP to the Parliament after the 2024 election certain.[6] The coalition also granted one possibly eligible seat to PPM.[7] The coalition was also revived for the 2024 Azorean regional election.

The coalition won the 2024 Azorean regional election, with 42 percent of the votes. It was the first time in 32 years that a PSD-led coalition polled first in an Azorean regional election.[8] The AD coalition went also to win, albeit by a narrow margin, the 2024 March legislative election, gathering 29 percent of the votes and electing 80 seats to Parliament.[9] PSD leader Luís Montenegro was sworn in as Prime Minister, under a minority government, on 2 April 2024.[10] The Democratic Alliance increased its share of vote in the June 2024 European Parliament election, up to 31 percent, but was narrowly defeated by the Socialist Party (PS) which gathered 32 percent of the votes.[11]

Members of the Democratic Alliance

Leaders

Election results

Luís Montenegro, Ursula von der Leyen and Sebastião Bugalho in a Democratic Alliance rally in Porto for the 2024 European Parliament election

Assembly of the Republic

Election Leader Votes % Seats Government
2024 Luís Montenegro 1,867,442 28.8 (#1)
80 / 230
 Coalition[c]

European Parliament

Election Leader Votes % Seats EP Group
2024 Sebastião Bugalho 1,229,895 31.1 (#2)
7 / 21
 EPP

Regional Assemblies

Azores

Election Leader Votes % Seats Government
2024 José Manuel Bolieiro 48,672 42.1 (#1)
26 / 57
 Coalition[d]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Resultados Globais". Ministry of Internal Administration (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  2. ^ Lusa, Jornal Económico com (2023-12-21). "PSD e CDS-PP vão avançar com coligação pré-eleitoral para as legislativas e europeias". O Jornal Económico (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  3. ^ Mesquita, Henrique Pinto de (2023-12-21). "PPM rejeita integrar coligação pré-eleitoral com PSD e CDS, admitida por Montenegro". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  4. ^ Mesquita, Henrique Pinto de (2024-01-03). "Afinal, PPM junta-se ao PSD e CDS e integra a Aliança Democrática". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2024-01-03. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  5. ^ Martins, Miguel Santos Carrapatoso, Igor. "Aliança Democrática entra em campo: Melo segura a direita, Montenegro tenta seduzir o centro". Observador (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2024-01-07. Retrieved 2024-01-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "Nuno Melo confirma que coligação garante pelo menos dois deputados ao CDS". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2024-01-06. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
  7. ^ Antunes, Rui Pedro. "PPM em lugar difícil de eleger na nova AD. Só há deputado monárquico se coligação chegar aos 19 deputados em Lisboa". Observador (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2024-01-05. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
  8. ^ Açores: “Governarei em maioria relativa. Não cedo a chantagens”, afirma Bolieiro Público, 4 February 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  9. ^ "AD ganha, mas com berbicacho, PS e esquerda ficam na "oposição"". Expresso (in Portuguese). 11 March 2024. Archived from the original on 11 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Presidente deu posse ao primeiro-ministro e ministros do XXIV Governo Constitucional" [President swears in the Prime Minister and ministers of the XXIV Constitutional Government]. Lusa (in Portuguese). 2 April 2024. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024 – via Sapo.
  11. ^ Expresso (2024-06-09). "Pedro Nuno canta vitória. Montenegro promete apoio a Costa para o Conselho Europeu. Siga aqui a noite eleitoral (com vídeo)". observador.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-06-09.

Notes

  1. ^ On ballot papers.
  2. ^ Common use abbreviation.
  3. ^ Minority Coalition government (PSD–CDS–PP).
  4. ^ Minority Coalition government (PSD–CDS–PP–PPM).