Regional elections in Portugal the Azores and Madeira: Persistence of non-alternation and absence of non-statewide parties. Issue 3 (27th May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ruel, Teresa
• Is Part Of: Regional & federal studies. Volume 29:Issue 3(2019)
• Page Start: 429
• Page End: 440
• Publication Date: 2019-05-27
• Subjects: Regional elections -- Portugal -- Azores and Madeira -- political alternation -- non-statewide parties; Regionalism -- Periodicals; Regional planning -- Periodicals; Federal government -- Periodicals; 321.02
• DOI: 10.1080/13597566.2018.1526786
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-7566

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The ruling parties were elected into office again after the recent regional elections held in Madeira (29 March 2015) and in Azores (16 October 2016): the social-democrats (PSD – Partido Social Democrata ) in Madeira and the socialists (PS – Partido Socialista ) in Azores. Despite forty years of regional elections in Portugal a pattern of non-alternation in executive government (Madeira) and the same party being in office for a long time (Azores) still has not been broken. The most notable difference is that turnout registered the lowest scores since the first regional elections were held in the 1970s. Just a bit more than 50% of voters showed up at the ballot box.