Political Shake-Up: PSD/CDS Coalition Renamed Amid PPM Legal Threat

Legal Tensions Over Coalition Name

The Popular Monarchical Party (PPM) has threatened to take legal action next week to prevent the use of the name “Aliança Democrática” by the coalition of PSD and CDS-PP. This comes after the two parties announced their coalition will be named “AD – Aliança Democrática – PSD/CDS” for the mainland and Madeira, while using “PSD/CDS/PPM” in the Azores.

Coalition Formation

On Wednesday night, the national councils of PSD and CDS-PP approved a pre-election coalition for the early elections on May 18, excluding PPM, which was part of the previous legislative and European elections.

PPM's Legal Claims

The PPM claims it is being seriously harmed and expressed that it had previously warned PSD and CDS-PP about the potential registration of the “Aliança Democrática” name in coalition with another party, but chose not to pursue it for ethical reasons.

Electoral Announcement

In their announcement, PSD and CDS-PP stated that they will compete in all electoral circles in mainland Portugal, Madeira, and for circles in Europe and outside Europe under the name “AD – Aliança Democrática – PSD/CDS” utilizing the symbols of both parties. In a separate announcement, they confirmed their coalition with PPM in the Azores under the name “PSD/CDS/PPM.”

Legal Framework

According to electoral law, party coalitions do not need to be registered by the Supreme Court of Justice but must be communicated before the candidacies are officially presented, with a joint document submitted to the National Elections Commission. This must include their names, acronyms, and symbols, and be announced in two widely read daily newspapers, which has now been accomplished.

Conclusion of Coalition Existence

The same law states that coalitions cease to exist once the final election results are made public. On Wednesday night, PSD's Secretary-General, Hugo Soares, asserted that there are no legal issues for the two parties to use the AD acronym from a legal, formal, and constitutional standpoint.