1975 Portuguese Constituent Assembly election

{{main article|Portuguese transition to democracy}}

The previous parliamentary elections were held on October 28, 1973, still under the authoritarian rule of the Estado Novo (New State), founded by António de Oliveira Salazar who died in 1970. The People's National Action (ANP), the single party of the then President of the Council of Ministers, Marcelo Caetano, had won the all 150 deputies of the National Assembly in the 1973 election, with a participation rate of 66.5% of registered. The election was boycotted by Opposition forces due to complaints about democratic legitimacy and oppression.

{{Main|Carnation Revolution}}

File:Revolução dos Cravos.jpg

On April 25, 1974, the Carnation Revolution, initiated by the captains of the Armed Forces Movement (MFA), ended the authoritarian regime established in 1932 by António de Oliveira Salazar. After the revolutionary forces proclaimed victory, the National Salvation Junta, presided by General António de Spínola, took over the position of Head of State and Government.{{citation | title = 25 de Abril de 1974 | url= https://arquivos.rtp.pt/colecoes/25-de-abril-de-1974/#sthash.806kNYc5.dpbs| publisher = RTP | access-date = 25 February 2018}}.

With political parties once again legal, the Socialist Party (PS) leader, Mário Soares, and the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) Secretary General, Álvaro Cunhal, returned to Portugal less than a week later. In addition, the members of the "liberal wing" of the ANP, favorable to a democratization of the "Estado Novo" before its fall, founded the Democratic People's Party (PPD) which claimed to be social democratic.{{citation | title = As primeiras eleições livres | url= https://www.cmjornal.pt/mais-cm/domingo/detalhe/as-primeiras-eleicoes-livres| publisher = Correio da Manhã | access-date = 25 February 2018}}.

At the end of three weeks, Spínola took the oath as President of the Republic, and nominated Adelino da Palma Carlos Prime Minister as the head of the 1st provisional government in which civil and military members plus independent, socialists, social democrats and communists also took part.

As early as July 18, Vasco Gonçalves, a military man seen as very close to the Communist Party, replaced Palma Carlos as head of the government. After this, the first party that didn't claim to be from the left or the center-left appeared, the Democratic and Social Center (CDS), which claimed to be an advocate of Christian democracy and liberalism.

Barely two and a half months later, after failing to carry out a counter-revolution, Spínola resigned as President of the Republic and was replaced by General Francisco da Costa Gomes, his deputy in the National Salvation Junta. On March 19, 1975, President Costa Gomes officially called an election to elect members to write a new Constitution.[http://www.cne.pt/sites/default/files/dl/ac_1975_data_eleicao.pdf Official call of 1975 Constituent Assembly election]

The electoral system adopted, set by the electoral law approved on November 15, 1974,[http://www.cne.pt/sites/default/files/dl/legis_dl_621_c_74.pdf Electoral Law of 1974] establishes the election of members of parliament by proportional representation according to the D'Hondt method, known to benefit the parties that come first.

The law fixes the number of one deputy per 25,000 inhabitants and one more per fraction of 12,500. Deputies were elected in twenty-three constituencies, namely the eighteen metropolitan districts, Horta, Ponta Delgada, Angra do Heroísmo, Funchal, Mozambique, Macau, and the rest of the world.

In application of these provisions, 250 seats were to be filled.

For these elections, the MPs distributed by districts were the following:{{cite web|url=http://www.cne.pt/sites/default/files/dl/md_ac1975.html|title=Mapa com o número de deputados da Eleição para a Assembleia Constituinte de 25 de Abril de 1975|publisher=CNE - Comissão Nacional de Eleições - Mapa com o número de deputados da Eleição para a Assembleia Constituinte de 25 de Abril de 1975|access-date=3 December 2020}}

The table below lists the major parties that contested the elections:

{{multiple image

| direction = vertical

| align = right

| width = 230px

| image1 = Eleições 1975, cartazes eleitorais na fachada da Estação do Rossio.png

| caption1 = Election posters on the facade of Rossio Station, Lisbon, on the eve of the elections.

| image2 = Portugal, politiek, straatbeelden etc leuzen van politieke partijen op straat , Bestanddeelnr 927-7487.jpg

| caption2 = Election posters in Lisbon, 1975.

}}

On the election night broadcast on RTP1, a debate took place, moderated by Joaquim Letria, on the electoral results revealed so far, with the participation of the leaders of the four main parties at the time: Mário Soares (Socialist Party), Joaquim Magalhães Mota replacing Francisco Sá Carneiro (Social Democratic Party), Álvaro Cunhal (Portuguese Communist Party), and Francisco Pereira de Moura (MDP/CDE). The questions to the guests were asked by a panel of commentators made up of journalists Manuel Beça Múrias, Dinis Abreu, José Júdice, Castro Mendes and José Carlos Vasconcelos.

{{bar box

|title=Vote share

|titlebar=#ddd

|width=550px

|barwidth=500px

|bars=

{{bar percent|PS|{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}}|37.87}}

{{bar percent|PPD|{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}|26.39}}

{{bar percent|PCP|{{party color|Portuguese Communist Party}}|12.46}}

{{bar percent|CDS|{{party color|Democratic and Social Centre – People's Party}}|7.61}}

{{bar percent|MDP/CDE|darkred|4.14}}

{{bar percent|FSP|red|1.16}}

{{bar percent|MES|red|1.02}}

{{bar percent|UDP|{{party color|Left Bloc (Portugal)}}|0.79}}

{{bar percent|FEC(m-l)|red|0.58}}

{{bar percent|PPM|{{party color|People's Monarchist Party (Portugal)}}|0.57}}

{{bar percent|ADIM|{{party color|Association for the Defense of Macau Interests}}|0.03}}

{{bar percent|Others|#777777|0.43}}

{{bar percent|Blank/Invalid|#DDDDDD|6.95}}

}}

{{bar box

|title=Parliamentary seats

|titlebar=#ddd

|width=550px

|barwidth=500px

|bars=

{{bar percent|PS|{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}}|46.40}}

{{bar percent|PPD|{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}|32.40}}

{{bar percent|PCP|{{party color|Portuguese Communist Party}}|12.00}}

{{bar percent|CDS|{{party color|Democratic and Social Centre – People's Party}}|6.40}}

{{bar percent|MDP/CDE|darkred|2.00}}

{{bar percent|UDP|{{party color|Left Bloc (Portugal)}}|0.40}}

{{bar percent|ADIM|#054A6E|0.40}}

}}

{{election table|title=Results of the 1975 election of the Portuguese Constituent Assembly
by constituency|sortable=yes}}

|- class="unsortable"

!rowspan=2|Constituency!!%!!S!!%!!S!!%!!S!!%!!S!!%!!S!!%!!S!!%!!S

!rowspan=2|Total
S

|- class="unsortable" style="text-align:center;"

!colspan=2 | PS

!colspan=2 | PPD

!colspan=2 | PCP

!colspan=2 | CDS

!colspan=2 | MDP/CDE

!colspan=2 | UDP

!colspan=2 | ADIM

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Angra do Heroísmo

| 23.0

| -

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|62.8

| 2

| 2.4

| -

| 6.1

| -

| 1.1

| -

|colspan="2" rowspan="2" bgcolor="#AAAAAA"|

|colspan="2" rowspan="14" bgcolor="#AAAAAA"|

| 2

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Aveiro

| 31.8

| 5

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|42.9

| 7

| 3.2

| -

| 11.1

| 2

| 3.9

| -

| 14

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Beja

| 35.6

| 3

| 5.3

| -

| style="background:red; color:white;"|39.0

| 3

| 2.2

| -

| 5.5

| -

| 1.4

| -

| 6

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Braga

| 27.4

| 5

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|37.7

| 7

| 3.7

| -

| 18.0

| 3

| 2.9

| -

| -

| -

| 15

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Bragança

| 24.7

| 1

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|43.0

| 3

| 2.7

| -

| 13.5

| -

| 3.7

| -

| -

| -

| 4

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Castelo Branco

| style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|41.5

| 5

| 24.3

| 2

| 5.6

| -

| 6.4

| -

| 3.9

| -

| 0.8

| -

| 7

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Coimbra

| style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|43.2

| 7

| 27.2

| 4

| 5.7

| 1

| 4.6

| -

| 4.4

| -

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#AAAAAA"|

| 12

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | {{hs|Evora}}Évora

| style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|37.9

| 3

| 6.9

| -

| 37.1

| 2

| 2.8

| -

| 7.8

| -

| 0.9

| -

| 5

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Faro

| style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|45.4

| 6

| 13.9

| 1

| 12.3

| 1

| 3.4

| -

| 9.5

| 1

| 1.1

| -

| 9

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Funchal

| 19.6

| 1

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|61.9

| 5

| 1.7

| -

| 10.0

| -

| 1.3

| -

| colspan="2" rowspan="3" bgcolor="#AAAAAA"|

| 6

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Guarda

| 28.2

| 2

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|33.3

| 3

| 2.9

| -

| 19.5

| 1

| 3.6

| -

| 6

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Horta

| 23.0

| -

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|67.6

| 1

| 2.4

| -

|colspan="2" bgcolor="#AAAAAA"|

| 3.1

| -

| 1

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Leiria

| 33.2

| 5

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|35.6

| 5

| 6.4

| -

| 6.8

| 1

| 3.4

| -

| 1.1

| -

| 11

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Lisbon

| style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|46.0

| 29

| 15.0

| 9

| 18.9

| 11

| 4.8

| 3

| 4.1

| 2

| 1.7

| 1

| 55

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Macau

| colspan="12" bgcolor="#AAAAAA"|

| style="background:{{party color|Association for the Defense of Macau Interests}}; color:white;"|56.4

| 1

| 1

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Mozambique

| style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|41.1

| 1

| colspan="12" bgcolor="#AAAAAA"|

| 1

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Ponta Delgada

| 30.4

| 1

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|54.8

| 2

| 1.5

| -

| 3.1

| -

| 2.7

| -

| colspan="4" bgcolor="#AAAAAA"|

| 3

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Portalegre

| style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|52.4

| 3

| 9.9

| -

| 17.5

| 1

| 4.0

| -

| 4.5

| -

| 1.2

| -

| colspan="2" rowspan="8" bgcolor="#AAAAAA"|

| 4

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Porto

| style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|42.6

| 18

| 29.4

| 12

| 6.7

| 2

| 8.9

| 3

| 2.6

| 1

| 0.6

| -

| 36

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Santarém

| style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|42.9

| 8

| 18.8

| 3

| 15.1

| 2

| 4.3

| -

| 4.1

| -

| 1.0

| -

| 13

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Setúbal

| style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|38.2

| 7

| 5.7

| 1

| 37.8

| 7

| 1.6

| -

| 6.0

| 1

| 1.3

| -

| 16

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Viana do Castelo

| 24.5

| 2

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|36.0

| 3

| 3.8

| -

| 14.5

| 1

| 7.1

| -

| colspan="2" rowspan="4" bgcolor="#AAAAAA"|

| 6

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Vila Real

| 27.1

| 2

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|45.8

| 4

| 2.9

| -

| 7.2

| -

| 2.3

| -

| 6

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Viseu

| 21.5

| 2

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|43.9

| 6

| 2.3

| -

| 17.2

| 2

| 4.0

| -

| 10

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | {{hs|z}}Emigration

| 34.4

| -

| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|45.6

| 1

| colspan="2" bgcolor="#AAAAAA"|

| 4.6

| -

| 11.0

| -

| 1

|-

|- class="unsortable" style="background:#E9E9E9"

| style="text-align:left;" | Total

| style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}}; color:white;"|37.9

| 116

| 26.4

| 81

| 12.5

| 30

| 7.6

| 16

| 4.1

| 5

| 0.8

| 1

| 0.0

| 1

| 250

|-

| colspan=16 style="text-align:left;" | Source: [https://www.cne.pt/sites/default/files/dl/resultados_ac_1975.pdf Comissão Nacional de Eleições]

|}

Legislativas portuguesas de 1975 (Mapa).png|Most voted political force by municipality.

{{clear}}

{{Notelist}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://eleicoes.cne.pt/cne2005/sel_eleicoes.cfm?m=raster#assemb Comissão Nacional de Eleições] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050408212102/http://eleicoes.cne.pt/cne2005/sel_eleicoes.cfm?m=raster#assemb |date=2005-04-08 }}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060818153627/http://www.iscsp.utl.pt/~cepp/abertura.php Centro de Estudos do Pensamento Político]

• Politics of Portugal
• List of political parties in Portugal
• Elections in Portugal

{{Portuguese elections}}

Category:Legislative elections in Portugal

Category:1975 elections in Portugal

Category:April 1975 in Europe

Category:Constituent Assembly elections in Europe