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Socialists, Social Dems Almost Tied in Portugal
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Portugal’s ruling Socialist Party (PS) could lose its bid for re-election in next month’s ballot, according to a poll by Marktest released by Diario de Noticias and TSF. 35.5 per cent of respondents would vote for the PS in this year’s general election, while 34.2 per cent would support the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD).
Support for the country’s two main parties has changed marginally since June. The Leftist Bloc (BE) is in third place with 14.3 per cent, followed by the Unitarian Democratic Coalition (CDU)—which includes the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) and the Environmental Party "The Greens" (OV)—with 7.4 per cent, and the Social Democratic Centre / Popular Party (CDS/PP) with 4.4 per cent.
The Socialists won the February 2005 parliamentary ballot, garnering 45.3 per cent of the vote and electing 121 lawmakers to the 230-seat Assembly of the Republic. Socialist leader Jose Socrates took over as prime minister in March. In May 2008, Manuela Ferreira Leite was elected as the new leader of the right-leaning PSD.
In February, Socrates was ratified as PS leader, garnering 96 per cent of all cast ballots in an internal election.
In June, the governing Socialists fared poorly in the election to the European Parliament. The opposition PSD garnered 31.7 per cent of the vote and eight of the 22 seats at stake, while the PS finished in second place with 26.6 per cent and seven seats.
On Jul. 31, Portugal’s Supreme Court upheld a ban on same-sex marriage that had been challenged by Teresa Pires and Helena Paixao, a lesbian couple. The Portuguese chapter of the International Gay and Lesbian Association issued a statement, which read: "The decision makes more evident the urgency of solving this issue via parliament by parties wanting to fight discrimination and promote basic equality."
On that same day, the PS included a proposal to legalize same-sex marriage in its election manifesto.
Same-sex marriage is currently legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway and Sweden.
Portugal’s general election is scheduled for Sept. 27.
Polling Data
What party would you vote for in a general election?
|
|
Jul. 2009 |
Jun. 2009 |
May 2009 |
|
Socialist Party (PS) |
35.5% |
34.5% |
36.3% |
|
Social Democratic Party (PSD) |
34.2% |
35.8% |
28.3% |
|
Leftist Bloc (BE) |
14.3% |
11.4% |
14.7% |
|
Unitarian Democratic Coalition (CDU) - |
7.4% |
7.7% |
9.4% |
|
Social Democratic Centre / Popular Party (CDS/PP) |
4.4% |
4.4% |
7.1% |
Source: Marktest / Diario de Noticias / TSF
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 811 Portuguese adults, conducted from Jul. 23 to Jul. 26, 2009. Margin of error is 3.45 per cent.
