2018 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership election

Last updated

2018 Social Democratic Party leadership election
Partido Social Democrata Logo.svg
  2016 13 January 2018 2020  
Turnout60.3% Increase2.svg13.9 pp
 
EPP Summit, 22 March 2018 (27083908678) (cropped, Rui Rio).jpg
Pedro Santana Lopes 01.jpg
Candidate Rui Rio Pedro Santana Lopes
Popular vote22,72819,244
Percentage54.2%45.8%

Leader before election

Pedro Passos Coelho

Elected Leader

Rui Rio

The 2018 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership election was held on 13 January 2018. The leadership election was held after then PSD leader Pedro Passos Coelho confirmed he would not run for another term in the aftermath of the poor results of the PSD in the 2017 local elections.

Contents

Only two candidates came forward: Rui Rio, former mayor of Porto, and Pedro Santana Lopes, former PSD leader, Prime Minister and mayor of Lisbon. This was Santana Lopes 5th leadership campaign, as he also ran in 1995, 1996, 2000, and 2008. As only two candidates were on the ballot, a second round wasn't necessary. On January 13, 2018, Rui Rio defeated Pedro Santana Lopes by a 54% to 46% margin, thus becoming the new leader of the PSD. [1] Pedro Santana Lopes was, again, defeated in a PSD leadership contest for a 5th time. Rui Rio was confirmed as the new party leader on a party national congress held in Lisbon between 16 and 18 February 2018. [2] Six months after this leadership election, Santana Lopes left the PSD to form his own party, Alliance. [3]

Candidates

NameBornExperienceAnnouncement dateRef.
Pedro Santana Lopes 01.jpg
Pedro Santana Lopes
29 June 1956
(age 61)
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)
10 October 2017 [4]
EPP Summit, Brussels, October 2018 (43568572310).jpg
Rui Rio
6 August 1957
(age 60)
Porto

Mayor of Porto (2001–2013)
Member of Parliament for Porto (1991–2002)
11 October 2017 [5]

Declined

Opinion polls

All voters

Polling firm/CommissionerFieldwork dateSample size EPP Summit, 22 March 2018 (27083908678) (cropped, Rui Rio).jpg Pedro Santana Lopes 01.jpg Other
/None
Rui Rio Santana Lopes
Aximage 6–9 Jan 201860069.022.58.5
Aximage 1–4 Dec 201760371.921.86.3
Aximage 4–6 Nov 201760065.824.39.9
Eurosondagem 16–18 Oct 20171,00343.342.212.5

PSD voters/PSD members

Polling firm/CommissionerFieldwork dateSample size EPP Summit, 22 March 2018 (27083908678) (cropped, Rui Rio).jpg Pedro Santana Lopes 01.jpg Other
/None
Rui Rio Santana Lopes
Eurosondagem (PSD members)7–9 Jan 201854848.951.1
Aximage (PSD voters)6–9 Jan 201860060.437.12.5
Aximage (PSD voters)1–4 Dec 201760370.526.82.7
Aximage (PSD voters)4–6 Nov 201760069.628.02.4

Results

Summary of the January 2018 PSD leadership election results
Candidate13 January 2018
Votes %
Rui Rio 22,72854.15
Pedro Santana Lopes 19,24445.85
Total41,972
Valid votes41,97298.40
Invalid and blank ballots6831.60
Votes cast / turnout42,65560.34
Registered voters70,692
Sources: Official results
Vote share
Rui Rio
54.15%
Pedro Santana Lopes
45.85%

See also

References

  1. "Rui Rio é o novo líder do PSD ", SIC Notícias , 13 January 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  2. "Rio: "Não há qualquer hipótese de um bloco central", Jornal de Notícias , 16 February 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  3. "Santana Lopes formaliza saída do PSD e prepara-se para formar um novo partido ", SIC Notícias , 4 August 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  4. Diário de Notícias (10 October 2017). "Santana Lopes anuncia candidatura à presidência do PSD" . Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  5. Notícias ao Minuto (11 October 2017). "Rui Rio oficializa candidatura. "PSD não é nem nunca será de Direita"" . Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  6. Portugal, Rádio e Televisão de (2017-10-06). "Luís Montenegro não se candidata à liderança do PSD". Luís Montenegro não se candidata à liderança do PSD (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-06-06.
  7. "PSD espera que Passos se afaste hoje. Montenegro resiste a avançar". Expresso (in Portuguese). 2017-10-03. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
  8. "André Ventura avança para a liderança do PSD "se ninguém for contra Rui Rio"". www.jornaldenegocios.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-06-06.
  9. "André Ventura apoia Santana Lopes para impedir que Rui Rio chegue à liderança do PSD". www.jornaldenegocios.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-06-06.