2019 Madeiran regional election

Leadership changes and challenges Socialist Party After the party's dismal result in the 2015 regional election, just 11 percent of the votes, the then PS leader, Victor Freitas resigned and a leadership ballot was called. Carlos João Pereira was the sole candidate for the leadership and was elected with 70% of the votes. However, Pereira's leadership divided the party, as he spent much more time in the Assembly of the Republic, in Lisbon, rather than in Madeira. A leadership ballot was called for 19 January 2018 and two candidates were on the ballot: Incumbent leader Carlos Pereira and Porto Moniz mayor, Emanuel Câmara. Câmara defeated Pereira by a 57 to 43 percent margin. The results were the following: Despite being elected leader, Emanuel Câmara announced that he would not be the party's candidate for the Presidency of the Regional Government and that he would pick Funchal mayor Paulo Cafôfo as the party's lead candidate. ==Electoral system==

The current 47 members of the Madeiran regional parliament are elected in a single constituency by proportional representation under the D'Hondt method, coinciding with the territory of the Region. ==Parties==

Current composition The table below lists parties represented in the Legislative Assembly of Madeira before the election. Parties running in the election 17 parties were on the ballot for the 2019 Madeira regional election. The parties that contested the election and their lead candidates were: (parties/coalitions are ordered by the way they appeared on the ballot) • Democratic Republican Party (PDR), Filipe Rebelo • Enough (CH), Miguel Teixeira • National Renovator Party (PNR), Álvaro Araújo • Left Bloc (BE), Paulino Ascenção • Socialist Party (PS), Paulo Cafôfo • People-Animals-Nature (PAN), João Henrique de Freitas • Alliance (A), Joaquim Sousa • Earth Party (MPT), Valter Rodrigues • Portuguese Workers' Communist Party (PCTP/MRPP), Fernanda Calaça • Social Democratic Party (PSD), Miguel Albuquerque • Liberal Initiative (IL), Nuno Morna • Portuguese Labour Party (PTP), Raquel Coelho • United Party of Retirees and Pensioners (PURP), Rafael Macedo • CDS – People's Party (CDS-PP), Rui Barreto • Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU), Edgar Silva • Together for the People (JPP), Élvio Sousa • React, Include, Recycle (RIR), Roberto Vieira ==Campaign period==

Party slogans Candidates' debates ==Opinion polls==

Graphical summary Polling ==Voter turnout==

The table below shows voter turnout throughout election day. ==Results==

On election night, the centre-right PSD and national-conservative CDS said they were willing to form a coalition government. Maps File:Partido mais votado por Freguesia nas regionais da Madeira de 2019.png|Most voted political force by parish. ==Aftermath==

Government approval For the first time in democracy, the PSD failed to win an outright majority of seats and was forced to negotiate with other parties. Shortly after, the party reached a deal with CDS – People's Party (CDS–PP) to form a coalition government. On 13 November 2019, the regional parliament approved Albuquerque's second led government, the first coalition government in Madeira: ==See also==