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Historic electoral night in the Azores. The PS, which has ruled the region for 24 years, lost the absolute majority that it had two decades ago. For the first time, Vasco Cordeiro will have to govern in a minority, in what will be his last term as head of the Azorean Executive.
It was the most unpredictable election night in recent years in the Azores. Usually, from the beginning of the night, the electoral result is already known. The PS has been winning the regional elections for 24 years, with an absolute majority for 20 years. This time it was not like that.
In 2020, the accounts were made to the end, island by island, parish in parish. In the end, the PS lost the absolute majority. The Socialists obtained 39.13%, PSD 33.74%, CDS 5.51%, Chega 5.06%, BE 3.82%, PPM 2.34%, Liberal Initiative 1.93% and PAN 1.93% .
In the distribution of mandates, the PS obtains 25, PSD 21, CDS three, Chega two, Left Bloc two, PPM two, Liberal Initiative one and PAN another. Outside the regional parliament is the CDU.
Vasco Cordeiro, leader of the PS-Açores and current president of the Regional Government, leaves for his last term allowed by the weakest law. It was in 1996, during the first socialist victory in the region, that Carlos César won with a relative majority. In 2016, in total, PS had 46.4% (30 deputies) and PSD 30.9% (19 deputies). The absolute majority in the Azores is achieved with 29 deputies.
The fight for third place was closed. The CDS won to the limit and got one more deputy than Chega, who elected two. André Ventura spent a week campaigning in the Azores and got the rewards of it. The Bloco de Esquerda, despite being behind André Ventura’s party, kept the same two deputies that it had in the previous legislature. The PPM, which has already had a deputy since 2008 in Corvo, got another deputy, chosen by Flores.
CDU disappears, abstention decreases
The Regional Legislative Assembly of the Azores will be more distributed than ever. In addition to Chega, Iniciativa Liberal and PAN will enter, both elected by the compensation circle. One of the biggest losers of the night was the CDU. In the last legislature he obtained a deputy, chosen by Flores. In the 2020 elections, he lost his deputy and practically disappeared from the Azorean political map.
One of the victories of the night was the reduction of abstention. In 2016, the abstention rate was the highest in regional elections (59.6%). In 2020, abstention was 55%.
The next few days will be interesting for Azorean politics. Vasco Cordeiro will face a new situation: how to govern with a relative majority? In 1996, the PS ruled with the CDS, but this time the centrists will not arrive to secure a majority for the socialists.
On the other hand, José Manuel Bolieiro, leader of PSD-Açores, stressed throughout the campaign that he was a man of consensus and that the party would soon take a position after the results.
Throughout the campaign, the possibility of right-wing gadgets remained up in the air. And the results allow it: PSD needs to join CDS, Chega, PPM and Liberal Initiative. It takes a five-party coalition to have an absolute majority. One thing is certain: at the beginning of these elections, all the parties aimed to end the socialist majority. And they did. 20 years later.
