CDU(1) stresses the importance and meaning of the defeat of the right wing parties in these elections.

Defined as our central goal since the first moment, its achievement confirms the justness of the struggle against the policy of the last governments and of our demand for earlier elections, as a first step to put an end to the work of destruction of the PSD(2) and CDS/PP(3) governments.

This fact and, above all, its dimension - one of the lowest results of PSD ever registered, the falling of the voting of CDS/PP and the loss of about 12 points of this two parties together – confirms the deep popular discontentment and the erosion of the social basis created by the policy of the governments of Durão Barroso and of Santana Lopes, during the last three years, among large sectors of the portuguese population.

Independently of the solutions and of the political options that are going to arise in the sequence of this elections, CDU salutes all the workers, the portuguese people that, with their struggle had contributed to combat this disastrous and unjust policy of the PSD and CDS, creating the necessary conditions for the isolation, weakening and defeat of the right wing governments.

The result achieved by CDU – representing a positive evolution of the total number of votes and of its electoral assertion – must be seen as an important element that must be valued.

It is important to underline the fact that CDU became the third political force strengthening its parliamentary representation with one more MP from the Lisbon district, a second one from Oporto district, and with the election of a MP from Braga district.

Reversing the electoral downward tendency registered in the previous elections, contradicting the idea of an irreversible decay, that some had precipitately announced, the result of CDU, surely inferior to the one needed to assure a more solid contribution for a real political change in the Portuguese policy, constitutes itself a stronger element for the strengthening of the future role and intervention of CDU.

To each and every Portuguese that entrusted their votes to CDU we assure that, now, like in the past, we will honour and respect our commitments and we will guarantee an intervention defending their interests, rights and aspirations, in and outside the parliament.

The undoubted absolute majority achieved by PS(4) , resulting from the immense discontentment against the PSD governments’ and benefiting
from the dynamic created by the false idea of the election of a Prime Minister, constitutes a less positive and less tranquillising element in what respects to the achievement of a necessary change that Portuguese situation is demanding.

Being a fact that many thousands of voters chose to entrust their votes to PS - not really believing that that was the most secure decision to achieve a real change, but mainly willing to remove PSD and CDS/PP from the government - the result of this election, as CDU insistently stressed, is far from guarantying the political change that many desired.

Now it is necessary to wait for the announcement of the program and solutions of the Socialist Party government. But, the fact of being with its hands free and without needing to look for convergences and agreements at its left, constitutes a disturbing element in what respects to the essential options and orientations that can be adopted by the Socialist Party.

CDU salutes the thousands of activists and members of PCP, PEV and ID, and the independent activists, that, with their generous dedication, with their irreplaceable action, contributed to spread all over the country a message of confidence in the possibility to achieve a new course for the national policy.

The elucidative and mobilising electoral campaign that CDU carried out, week after week, is already, besides the results, a precious victory to the assertion of a force committed to the interests of the workers and of the portuguese people, feeling and sharing their preoccupations and dreams for a better and dignified life.

In the life that continues after tomorrow, the results obtained by CDU, and above all, the wave of support to our proposals and action, are a solid element of confidence and of encouragement for the work and struggle aiming to conquer a new policy, defending the workers’ interests and paving the way for a more just and sovereign Portugal.

1 - CDU - Unitary Democratic Coalition (the electoral coalition formed by the Portuguese Communist Party, the Green Ecologist Party and the Democratic Intervention)
2 - PSD – “Social Democratic Party” (Right Wing)
3 - CDS/PP – “Social Democratic Center / Popular Party (Populist / Extreme Right Wing)
4 - PS – “Socialist Party” (Social Democratic)