1. This is the time to start by stressing that, as the country knows and nobody may deny, in these elections the main aim of the CDU's campaign was to strengthen its voting and the number of elected MP's.

This aim was reached. For the first time in many years, the CDU increases its percentage of the vote. It becomes the third political force in number of votes. It will elect 17 MP's (2 more then before). It must be stressed that this increase occurred in two districts (Setúbal and Braga), with a great mass of working people. A particular meaning has the election of one M.P. in the district of Braga, something which had not happened since 1991.

It is a very positive result, all the more so if we take in account the political context in which these elections took place, in which there were factors that were highly favourable for the Socialist Party.

These results are a sign of reversal of trends, and are very stimulating and promising. They encourage a dynamics of greater affirmation and intervention of a major, coherent and influent left force.

2. If, as everything seems to indicate, the PS does not obtain the absolute majority on which the PS and António Guterres were expressly and clearly betting, this will be a very positive fact for the workers' interests and the national politics, for which the CDU has fought and also contributed.

3. Thanking for the confidence expressed by all the electors who, with their vote for CDU, enabled this result, I wish to assure to all of them that CDU will continue, with renewed engagement and energy, its struggle and intervention for a turn to the left in the national politics and that it will honour all the commitments assumed during the electoral campaign.

I want finally to warmly greet all the militants and supporters of the PCP and the Party "The Greens", the Democratic Intervention, the CDU's activists and the thousands of independents to whom is due the dynamics and the success of this campaign; they generously contributed for enabling us to feel today all over the country justly encouraged by still more confidence and assurance that we represent a great current of ideals and convictions and that we are bearers of a political project with future, boldly geared to gain a stronger support in the Portuguese society.

Notes:

(1)

PS - Socialist Party

PSD - Social Democratic Party - liberal right-wing

CDU - Unitary Democratic Coalition, constituted by PCP, Ecological Party The Greens and Independents

PP - Popular Party - populist right-wing

BE - Left Block; it did not exist in 1995; it assembles now small parties existing then: PSR - Revolutionary Socialist Party (trotskist origin); UDP - Popular Democratic Union (maoist origin) and Politics XXI (ex-communists and independents)

1. It is not yet obtained the result of voting in Emigration and some localities, what will not bring any significant change.
2. The abstention went up from 32,9 in 1995 to 38,1 in 1999.