Portuguese Socialists fail to escape swing to the right

At the finishing post of the Portuguese EU elections, the governing Socialists have fallen behind the opposition conservative Social Democrats.

The Socialist government, led by Prime Minister José Socrates of the PS Socialists won 26.58%, against the PSD who polled 31.68%. Voter turnout reflected a general dissatisfaction with all the parties however, at around 39% of the electorate. Four months before the country’s national elections in October, this result represents a bad loss for the national party who polled 44.5% in the 2004 EU elections.