Democratic and Social Centre – People's Party
The Centro Democrático e Social - Partido Popular [' sẽtɾu dɨmu'kɾatiku i susi'aɫ / pɐɾ'tidu pupu'laɾ ] listen / i, abbreviated CDS -PP to German "Democratic and Social Centre - People's Party ", shortly Portuguese People's Party, is a right-wing conservative Portuguese political party.
The People's Party since the Carnation Revolution in the National Assembly, the Portuguese Parliament, represented and has been involved with different coalition partners several times to the Portuguese government. She currently represents 24 MPs and, together with the liberal conservative Social Democrats, the government of Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho. Party Chairman is Paulo Portas, who has challenged the party chairman Ribeiro e Castro in spring 2007. In the direct election, he sat down with a clear majority (72%) through to Ribeiro e Castro.
In the European Parliament the CDS -PP is represented by two MPs. At European level, the CDS -PP long member of the European Democratic Alliance, a coalition of conservative Eurosceptic parties, which formed a political group in the European Parliament communion with the European People's Party (EPP ). Meanwhile, the CDS -PP, however, joined the EPP.
Although originally founded as a party of the center, which also finds expression in the party name, the CDS -PP represents conservative to very conservative positions today. The CDS -PP represents a restrictive immigration policy and is next to the Catholic Church.
History
The party was under the name " Social and Democratic Center" (Centro Democrático Social - CDS) founded on 19 July 1974. The founding took place shortly after as the Carnation Revolution, with the activity of political parties was allowed again in Portugal. Important founding members were Diogo Freitas do Amaral, Adelino Amaro da Costa and Basílio Horta.
Shortly after its founding, the CDS felt as a reservoir for part of the population, with the radical socialist currents that immediately after the Carnation Revolution of a large part of the Movimento the forcas Armadas and at times by Prime Minister Vasco Gonçalves by the government were represented, did not agree. As their main political opponent, the party saw therefore the Portuguese Communist Party. In the elections to the Constituent Assembly (April 25, 1975), the party won 16 deputies mandates. The CDS agreed with the only party against the new constitution of the country, as it was too socialistic.
First participation in government in coalition with the Socialists
In the first parliamentary elections after the adoption of a new constitution in April 1976 (27 July 1976), the Socialist Party of Mário Soares strongest faction was, without obtaining its own majority. The CDS gained 42 seats and thus achieved its main dial destination to be stronger than the Communists. Soares became Prime Minister of a minority government, to which the CDS initially stood in opposition. After this minority government was due to lack of parliamentary support failed, the CDS occurred on January 23, 1978 in a run of Soares coalition, he exhibited in these three government ministers, including the foreign minister and five secretaries of state. Since the programmatic differences between the CDS and the Socialists were too large, the coalition failed after a short time. Soares had to resign, President Eanes then appointed non-partisan government without parliamentary majority until the parties had adapted to new elections.
The CDS as part of the " Democratic Alliance "
For the 1979 elections was formed at the suggestion of a CDS party alliance of the major conservative parties in the country. In addition to the CDS this alliance, " Democratic Alliance " (Portuguese Aliança Democrática, abbreviated AD) were known, the Portuguese Social Democrats ( PSD) ( which - unlike their name suggests - also a conservative party are ), as well as the smallest partner monarchists at (PPM ). Strongest Party of AD was the PSD, whose chairman Sá Carneiro after the election victory of the AD 's new prime minister was. In the government Sá Carneiro CDS presented five ministers and ten secretaries of state, chairman of the CDS Freitas do Amaral was Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.
On December 4, 1980, Prime Minister Sá Carneiro under mysterious circumstances today in a plane crash. Defense Minister Adelino Amaro da Costa, who belonged to the CDS, also was in the plane and so was also the victim of misfortune. New Chairman of the PSD and thus the new Prime Minister was Francisco Pinto Balsemão. The CDS remained in the government, Freitas do Amaral was Deputy Prime Minister, was, however, the Office of the Secretary of State in order to take over from his crashed party colleague, the Minister of Defense.
Unlike Sá Carneiro failed Pinto Balsemão hold together the various parties of AD. Especially between him and his deputy Freitas do Amaral has seen increasing opposites. This eventually led to Freitas do Amaral resigned from his post in the government and also as party leader of the CDS. The CDS then left the AD, the government lost its majority and was forced to resign.
Twenty years of Opposition 1982-2002
The necessitated after the resignation of the government Pinto Balsemão elections came back clear. Although the Socialists were the strongest party, but failed again the majority in parliament. It was founded and led by Mário Soares a large coalition of socialists and social democrats. When they broke up in 1985, finally, the Socialists were the strongest party, led only a minority government and possessed from 1987 even has an absolute majority. The Social Democrats ruled from 1985 to 1995 ( Government Aníbal Cavaco Silva ), then ruled until 2002, the Socialists alone ( Government António Guterres ), the CDS was to all of these governments in opposition.
The resignation of Freitas do Amaral, the party needed a new moderator, this was finally with Francisco Lucas Pires found which could prevail with a fight against his rival candidate Luís Barbosa. The parliamentary elections of 1985 brought the party a bad score, Francisco Lucas Pires took over responsibility for it and stepped back. His successor, Adriano Moreira could not turn the tide, so that eventually Freitas do Amaral again took over the party chairmanship (until 1992 ). The party, at that time only four MPs in Parliament.
The Congress of 1992 brought a change of generation at the head of the party, as the former chairman of its youth organization, Manuel Monteiro, was elected as the new Chairman. A year later, the party added their traditional names the term " People's Party " are added and so was given its present name. The new chairman leads a decidedly critical of the EU course, the debate about the attitude of the party towards the European Union eventually lead to a break with the former Chairman of Diogo Freitas do Amaral.
In the elections of 1995 the party achieved a recovery, it reached 15 MP mandates. The local elections of 1997 brought a renewed slump but then in favor of the voters, Monteiro then passes back, new party chairman is Paulo Portas.
Participation in government 2002-2005
The year 2002 brought new elections, which were necessitated by the resignation of Mr. Guterres due to losses of socialists in the local elections of 2002. The elections were won by the PSD, however, fell short of an absolute majority. It led to a renewed coalition of national conservative CDS -PP with the PSD. Became Prime Minister of the PSD politician José Manuel Durão Barroso, the CDS -PP occurs with three ministers in the government one, including Paulo Portas as defense minister. 2004 Durão Barroso resigned as head of government since he was elected president of the European Commission. His successor, Pedro Santana Lopes was inside politically controversial and eventually had to resign, new elections were the result after a short reign.
In the 2005 elections and the CDS had to share the consequences for the unpopularity of the Prime Minister Santana Lopes PSD. The party could not achieve any of their choice targets ( remain as the third- strongest political force in the country, the prevention of an absolute majority of the Socialists, a vote share of at least ten percent), lost two seats and since then has only twelve deputies to the National Assembly. The Socialists reached the absolute majority and set with José Sócrates again the government, the CDS -PP is again in opposition.
Paulo Portas took on the responsibility for the unexpectedly poor performance of the CDS -PP and resigned from all his offices. José Ribeiro e Castro was elected his successor. The new chairman acted but without luck and was overthrown in early 2007 by his predecessor. In a direct election by the party members Paulo Portas was elected with 72 percent of the vote.
Party chairman
Election results since 1976
Here are the election results of the CDS or the CDS-PP in national parliamentary elections:
At the elections of 1979 and 1980, the party did not take its own list, but with a Community list as part of the Democratic Alliance (AD) in part (together with PSD and PPM). The AD reached in the elections of 1979 and 42.2% in 1980 44.4 % of the vote.
Traditionally, very good results driving the Party, for example, in the autonomous region of Madeira, where she previously ruling Socialists almost made the second place in favor of the voters in the last parliamentary elections in 2011 in dispute. Also in the city of Lisbon and the district of the same name reached the CDS-PP regularly average voter encouragement, while the movement achieved in the "left" districts such as Beja Evora or worse results.