The Constitutional Court (TC) has unanimously approved the name ‘AD – Coligação PSD/CDS’ on Thursday. The People’s Monarchist Party (PPM) announced shortly afterward that it will appeal the decision. How long can this controversy continue?
The court concluded that “there is nothing to prevent the coalition between the Social Democratic Party (PPD/PSD) and the CDS – People’s Party (CDS-PP)” from running in the districts of the Continent, Madeira, Europe, and Outside Europe with the acronym ‘PPD/PSD.CDS-PP’ and the name ‘AD – Coligação PSD/CDS’.
“It is also noted that the name, acronym, and symbol of the coalition currently under consideration do not break any laws, nor do they resemble the corresponding elements of other parties or coalitions formed by other parties,” states the ruling of rapporteur José Teles Pereira, elected by Parliament on a PSD proposal.
The ruling is signed, in addition to the rapporteur, by the president of the TC, José João Abrantes, by vice-president Gonçalo Almeida Ribeiro, and by justices Rui Guerra da Fonseca and Maria Benedita Urbano.
The coalition led by Luís Montenegro has officially been named ‘AD – Coligação PSD/CDS’.
Notícias ao Minuto | 17:16 – 03/04/2025
However, it should be noted that the TC had rejected the initial proposal, ‘AD – Aliança Democrática – PSD/CDS’, arguing that it could mislead voters since this time it does not include the PPM, unlike the elections one year ago.
The first ruling had Justice Dora Lucas Neto (elected by Parliament on a PS proposal) as rapporteur, with supporting votes from justices António de Ascensão Ramos, José Eduardo Figueiredo Dias, and Mariana Canotilho, with Gonçalo Almeida Ribeiro dissenting.
Among the judges who analyzed the two rulings, only the TC’s vice-president participated in both.
The Constitutional Court rejected the PSD/CDS-PP coalition’s request to use the designation “AD – Aliança Democrática – PSD/CDS” in the upcoming general elections, citing an “undeniable risk of misleading voters”.
Lusa | 11:28 – 01/04/2025
The general secretary of the monarchists, Paulo Estêvão, confirmed to Lusa that the party will appeal to the plenary of the Constitutional Court and reminded that the first TC ruling on this matter “is unequivocal” and establishes that “there is no possibility of referencing the Democratic Alliance or AD”.
It should be noted that within 24 hours of the publication of the notice, “the representatives of any list presented in any district by any coalition or party may appeal the decision to the plenary of the Constitutional Court”, according to the electoral law for the Assembly of the Republic. In case of an appeal, the Constitutional Court must decide within 48 hours.
Additionally, the scheduling of early general elections for May 18 sets the deadline for submitting candidates’ lists to April 7 and the official campaign period between May 4 and May 16.
The People’s Monarchist Party will appeal to the plenary of the Constitutional Court the decision approving the designation “AD – Coligação PSD/CDS,” the party’s general secretary said today to Lusa.
Lusa | 18:09 – 03/04/2025
On Wednesday, the general secretaries of the PSD and CDS-PP, Hugo Soares and Pedro Morais Soares, announced the new proposal at a press conference, which was approved in the evening unanimously by the National Councils of both parties.
“We are absolutely convinced that this name we have chosen corresponds to the ruling of the Constitutional Court we learned of this week and that it meets all legal criteria for it to be accepted by the Constitutional Court and for the coalition to run under the name by which it is known to the Portuguese people”, stated Hugo Soares at the time.
The PSD leader considered that this designation, in addition to meeting all requirements “respecting the memory of all previous coalitions,” clearly stated that “this is a coalition solely between the Social Democratic Party and the CDS-PP”, now without the PPM.
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