Regardless of the party or coalition with the most votes on June 9, when the Portuguese elect the 21 deputies who will represent them in the European Parliament over the next five years, there is a certainty that the national delegation will be almost completely different from the one that existed in previous legislature, started in 2019.
The total renewal carried out by the PS, which invested in the former Minister of Health, Marta Temido and dispensed with its nine MEPs, the “recruitment” of four ministers (Paulo Rangel, Nuno Melo, José Manuel Fernandes and Maria da Graça Carvalho) and a Secretary of State (Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar) among those elected from the PSD and CDS-PP, and the imminent debut of Chega and the Liberal Initiative will drastically change the parliamentary cast in Brussels and Strasbourg as far as Portugal is concerned. To the point that there is only one MEP, among the current 21 elected, with re-election almost guaranteed: the social democrat Lídia Pereira, who appears in fifth position on the list of the Democratic Alliance (AD), headed by political commentator Sebastião Bugalho.
For the 32-year-old economist, who arrived at the European Parliament in 2019, not being the only one to regain her seat, it will be necessary for the Left Bloc and the CDU to elect more than one deputy, as the blocists and communists also chose to renew lists, headed by former coordinator Catarina Martins and former deputy João Oliveira, respectively. Only a vote in the European elections that is much higher than the voting intentions revealed in the Aximage survey that DN published on April 21st will allow the maintenance of the current MEPs Sandra Pereira (CDU) and José Gusmão (Bloco de Esquerda), which even then only would bring the number of repeaters to three – just one in seven.
It is a huge difference compared to the 2019 European elections, in which eight Portuguese MEPs were re-elected – the socialists Carlos Zorrinho and Pedro Silva Pereira, who was vice-president of the Socialists & Democrats group, the social democrats Paulo Rangel, José Manuel Fernandes and Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar, who were joined by Carlos Coelho after Álvaro Amaro’s resignation, as well as centrist Nuno Melo, communist João Ferreira and blockist Marisa Matias – ensuring a continuity that will no longer exist. We have to go back to 2009 to find a minimally comparable renewal, but six remained: Ana Gomes, Capoulas Santos and Elisa Ferreira (PS), Carlos Coelho (PSD), Ilda Figueiredo (PCP) and Miguel Portas (Bloco de Esquerda), who would die halfway through the legislature.
This time, in addition to the revolution in the PS list, with Pedro Nuno Santos joining Francisco Assis and Ana Catarina Mendes with Marta Temido, and in AD, which has vice-president Paulo Cunha seconding Bugalho – with number 3 on the list, representing the CDS-PP, in charge of Ana Miguel Pedro, who has worked in the European Parliament since 2011, having been Nuno Melo’s deputy -, Chega brings together its vice-president Tânger Corrêa, career ambassador, with the specialist in International Relations (and former PSD deputy) Tiago Moreira de Sá, the former national advisor of the Liberal Initiative Mariana Nina and the former Secretary of State Francisco Almeida Leite. And the Liberal Initiative has a great asset in the candidacy of the former president, João Cotrim de Figueiredo, followed by Ana Martins and André Costa Amaral, with Livre betting on Francisco Paupério and the PAN advancing with Pedro Fidalgo Marques, committed to the election of a deputy, as in 2019, although Francisco Guerreiro disaffiliated and maintained his mandate as an independent.
Bridges between Portuguese
Social-democratic MEP Lídia Pereira relativizes the degree of renewal in the European Parliament. “I see this very naturally,” she said to DN yesterday, on the sidelines of the delivery of the AD list to the Constitutional Court. Defending that “there was a great appreciation of the work of MEPs” with the invitations to the Government, she counters that the “experience and competence of new MEPs” must be taken into account.
With a strong possibility of being the only current Portuguese MEP re-elected – and certain that she will be the only one among the Social Democrats -, she recognizes the “additional responsibility of trying to build the necessary bridges for the new MEPs to be quickly integrated”, especially because “the antiquity will be significant”, but adds that he tends “to see renewal with a lot of optimism”.
For someone who is already vice-president of the European People’s Party, but only arrived at the European Parliament five years ago, in a legislature “marked by the pandemic”, it is clear that the newcomers will feel the impact. “We are talking about a very large institution and a complex legislative process, for which it is important to have the necessary networks”, he says, aware that “getting to know the relevant people takes time”.
Regarding the departure of compatriots who represent other political families, Lídia Pereira says that it will be necessary to “create new bridges of contact” that replace those that existed between the different Portuguese delegations. But, for now, “the key is to win this electoral battle” and “ensure that there is space for moderation and dialogue, so that we can continue to work together and represent Portugal at the same high level”.
DETAILS
Vote on mobility
The fact that the June 9 elections take place when many Portuguese people are taking advantage of the holidays to leave their place of residence means that, this time, it will be possible to vote anywhere in the country. The polling stations have digital electoral registers, and the Citizen Card generates a ballot. The same abroad, but only in consular and diplomatic posts.
And also early
As has happened in other electoral acts, it will be possible to vote in advance on the previous Sunday, June 2nd. Voters interested in doing so must register on the Voto Antecipado online platform or by letter.
More political families
At the moment, Portuguese deputies in the European Parliament are divided between Socialists & Democrats (PS), European People’s Party (PSD and CDS), Left (Bloco de Esquerda and PCP) and Greens (the independent Francisco Guerreiro, elected by PAN). Polls indicate that there will be Identity and Democracy (Chega) and Renew Europe (Liberal Initiative).
Number does not change
Portugal will continue to elect 21 deputies to the European Parliament in 2024, despite the number of mandates having increased from 705 to 720. France, Spain and the Netherlands gained two deputies compared to 2019, while nine countries gained one more seat : Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Poland.
Who are the top of the list for the European Championships?
AD
SEBASTIÃO BUGALHO
28 YEARS
He was a journalist and, until he was announced as a candidate, he was a political commentator on SIC Notícias. He was also a columnist for DN. When presenting his candidacy, the now head of the list assured that he wanted to fulfill his mandate until the end. “We are really ready for combat”, he assured.
P.S.
MARTA FEARED
50 YEARS
Minister of Health from 2018 to 2022, she now leads a completely renewed list from the PS to the Europeans. In 2023 she was elected president of PS Lisboa (being the only one to run for the position). In the last legislative elections, she was elected deputy for the Lisbon Electoral Circle.
HE ARRIVES
TANGER CORRÊA
72 YEARS OLD
Vice-president of the party since 2020, he was a diplomat for more than 40 years, serving as consul in Goa and Rio de Janeiro, ambassador to Serbia or Egypt. Before Chega, he was active in the CDS-PP and became assistant to Diogo Freitas do Amaral, when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs.
IL
JOÃO COTRIM DE FIGUEIREDO
62 YEARS OLD
Leader of the Liberal Initiative until January 2023, he was also a deputy until the last Legislature (and was the party’s first ever deputy). In the March 10 elections, he was the candidate for the Circle of Europe, and was not elected. Now, he makes his debut at the top of the list at the European Championships.
BE
CATARINA MARTINS
50 YEARS
She was coordinator of the Bloc since 2012. She left the leadership in May 2023. She then also left the Assembly of the Republic, where she had been a deputy since 2009. She is running for the first time for a European election, leading the list in exchange with Marisa Matias, elected deputy in the March legislative elections.
CDU
JOÃO OLIVEIRA
44 YEARS OLD
The former communist parliamentary leader left the national hemicycle after the 2022 legislative elections, where he failed to be elected. He is now making his debut as head of the European list. In the last few, the place was occupied by João Ferreira (who would later be replaced by João Pimenta Lopes).
FREE
FRANCISCO PAUPÉRIO
29 YEARS OLD
He is the second youngest candidate, after Sebastião Bugalho. The electoral process in the internal primaries was turbulent but, in the second round, he ended up securing the election and was confirmed as head of the list. No. 2 is Filipa Pinto, who was also a candidate for the Legislature (not elected).
PAN
PEDRO FIDALGO MARQUES
37 YEARS
Graduated in Dance, he was born the year Portugal joined the EEC (1986). At PAN, Pedro Fidalgo Marques is leader, member and member of the National Political Commission, the highest body between congresses. He was no. 3 for Lisbon in the last legislative elections.
Tags: Revolution lists lead MEPs reelected
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