A total of 17 parties and coalitions are competing in the elections for the European Parliament on June 9, the same number as in 2019, with only four party forces recognized by the Constitutional Court that will not go to vote.
According to the lists posted this Monday at the Constitutional Court (TC), the Democratic Alliance (coalition composed of PSD, CDS and PPM), PS, Chega, Liberal Initiative, Left Bloc, CDU (PCP/PEV coalition), Livre, PAN, ADN, MAS, Ergue-te, Nova Direita, Volt Portugal, RIR, Nós Cidadãos, MPT and PTP.
In total, there are two coalitions (AD and CDU) and 15 parties. Of the 24 parties recognized by the Constitutional Court, only four do not go to the vote: Aliança, PCTP/MRPP, Juntos Pelo Povo (JPP) and (A)TUA (formerly PRPP).
Regarding the MAS candidacy, the Constitutional Court issued a ruling stating that two lists were presented in the name of the party.
In this ruling, the TC emphasizes that the presentation of candidacies “is up to the competent bodies of the political parties” and states that it only accepted the list submitted by the representative João Carlos de Gouveia Pascoal, without specifying the name of who presented the other list.
The AD list is headed by former journalist and television commentator Sebastião Bugalho, followed by PSD vice-president Paulo Cunha, while the PS list is led by former Health Minister Marta Temido and has the former socialist parliamentary leader as number two. Francisco Assis.
Chega is betting on diplomat Tânger Correia as number one, while the Liberal Initiative chose its former president João Cotrim Figueiredo as head of the list. The Left Bloc also bet on a former leader to lead its candidacy for the Europeans, presenting Catarina Martins.
The CDU (a coalition made up of the PCP and the PEV), bet on former parliamentary leader João Oliveira as head of the list and Livre on researcher Francisco Paupério, who will run for the first time in elections. The PAN’s number one at the European level is party leader Pedro Fidalgo Marques.
After the deadline for submitting candidacies, the Constitutional Court (TC) will, this Tuesday, draw the lists, to assign them an order on the ballot paper.
In the last European elections, in 2019, 17 parties and coalitions had competed, the largest number ever in this type of vote, equivalent to this year. The PS had won the elections, with 33.38%, electing nine MEPs. The PSD came second, obtaining six mandates, followed by the BE and CDU, both with two MEPs, and the CDS and PAN, which both elected one representative.
