{{distinguish|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox political party | logo = Logo of the Unitary Democratic Coalition.svg | symbol = 150px | colorcode = {{Political party data|color}} | leader = Paulo Raimundo | foundation = 1987 | ideology = Communism<ref>[https://www.politico.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/state_of_populism_in_europe_in_2016.pdf THE STATE OF POPULISM IN EUROPE (2016)] via Politico EU</ref><ref>[https://www.academia.edu/36420409/The_State_of_Populism_in_Europe_2017_Germany_Catching_up_but_still_at_the_bottom_of_the_European_league The State of Populism in Europe 2017] via Academia</ref><br>Eco-socialism<ref name="Nordsieck">{{cite web|url=http://parties-and-elections.eu/portugal.html|year=2019|title=Portugal|last=Nordsieck|first=Wolfram|website=Parties and Elections in Europe}}</ref><br>Social conservatism<ref name="soc_con">{{cite thesis |title=A Comparative Analysis of Portuguese Parties’ Legislative Programs in 2024: A Multidimensional Study |last=do Paço |first=Mafalda Trindade Rodrigues Gomes|journal=NIMS - Dissertações de Mestrado em Ciência de Dados e Métodos Analíticos Avançados |year=2024 |degree=Master in Data Science and Advanced Analytics |publisher=Universidade Nova de Lisboa |page=5 |quote="This liberal/conservative dichotomy isn’t applicable in the Portuguese context, where across the left-right spectrum you can find both liberal and conservative ideals. Take Bloco de Esquerda and Coligação Democrática Unitária - while they can be considered close on the left side of the spectrum, the former has socially liberal positions, while the latter is socially conservative."}}</ref><br>Hard Euroscepticism<ref>{{cite web|url=https://europeglobalactor.cei.iscte-iul.pt/the-local-construction-of-euroskepticism-a-downsian-approach-to-the-positioning-of-the-portuguese-communist-party-vis-a-vis-the-european-project/|title=The local construction of Euroscepticism: a downsian approach to the positioning of the Portuguese Communist Party vis-à-vis the European project|first=Luísa|last=Godinho|publisher=Centro de Estudos Internacionais (CEI-ISCTE)|date=2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dn.pt/lusa/europeias-cdu-defende-outro-projeto-europeu-ps-alerta-que-ideia-e-muito-perigosa-10871660.html|title=Europeias: CDU defende "outro projeto" europeu, PS alerta que ideia "é muito perigosa"|publisher=Diário de Notícias|date=7 May 2019|language=pt}}</ref> | position = Far-left<ref>{{bulleted list|{{cite thesis |title=A Comparative Analysis of Portuguese Parties’ Legislative Programs in 2024: A Multidimensional Study |last=do Paço |first=Mafalda Trindade Rodrigues Gomes |journal=NIMS - Dissertações de Mestrado em Ciência de Dados e Métodos Analíticos Avançados |year=2024 |degree=Master in Data Science and Advanced Analytics |publisher=Universidade Nova de Lisboa |page=7 |quote="Coligação Democrática Unitária (CDU), with 4 seats, is a far-left communist coalition between Partido Comunista Português (PCP), a Marxist-Leninist party, and Partido Ecologista "Os Verdes" (PEV), an eco-socialist party."}}|{{cite web |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/eye-on-europes-elections/your-primer-on-portugals-parliamentary-elections/ |title=Your primer on Portugal’s parliamentary elections |date=7 March 2024 |website=Atlantic Council |first=Andrew |last=Bernard |quote="CDU is a recurring far-left coalition in Portuguese politics, uniting the PCP and the small Ecologist Party “The Greens” (PEV)."}}|{{cite web |url=https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/portugal-economic-reforms/ |website=Geopolitical Intelligence Services AG |title=Portugal: The economy is Costa’s next big test |date=24 June 2019 |first=Teresa Nogueira |last=Pinto |quote="However, the troika years had reenergized Portugal’s far left, represented by the Left Bloc and the Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU), led by the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP)."}}}}</ref>{{cref|A}} | headquarters = Rua Soeiro Pereira Gomes 3, 1600-019 Lisboa | country = Portugal | native_name = Coligação Democrática Unitária | abbreviation = {{ublist | '''CDU''' | '''PCP–PEV''' }} | predecessor = United People Alliance | youth_wing = Juventude CDU | membership = 48,323 in 2024 (PCP)<br>c. 6,000 in 2007 (PEV) | europarl = The Left in the European Parliament | colours = {{ublist | {{color box|#006699}} Blue (official) | {{color box|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} Red (customary) | {{color box|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition (2022)}}}} Pea green{{efn|since 2022}} | {{color box|{{party color|Ecologist Party "The Greens"}}}} Green }} | blank1_title = Member parties | blank1 = {{ublist | PCP | PEV | ID }} | seats1_title = Assembly of the Republic | seats1 = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|ms-lower-house}} | seats2_title = European Parliament | seats2 = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|EP}} | seats3_title = Regional Parliaments | seats3 = {{Composition bar|0|104|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | seats4_title = Local government<br>(Mayors) | seats4 = {{Composition bar|12|308|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | seats5_title = Local government<br>(Parishes) | seats5 = {{composition bar|97|3216|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | website = {{Political party data|website}} | footnotes = {{cnote|A|The alliance is also described as left-conservative,<ref>{{cite thesis |title=The Missing Quadrant: Left-conservative parties and voters in Western Europe |degree=Master in Political Science |first=Michael |last=Souer |publisher=Universiteit Leiden |url=https://studenttheses.universiteitleiden.nl/handle/1887/3160270 |year=2020 |page=27 |quote="While social democratic parties have not moved toward a more left-conservative position, it is worth addressing radical left parties. While the left-conservative movement of these parties was not statistically significant, there are certainly a number of radical left parties which have moved considerably toward a left-conservative position, primarily by adopting more a culturally conservative position. This includes the Portuguese CDU, whose position on the sociocultural dimension moved from 2.5 to 4.7, increasing their left-conservative score by 18.9 points on a scale from 0 to 100."}}</ref> given its more conservative stances on social issues.<ref name="soc_con"/>}} | flag = }} The '''Unitary Democratic Coalition'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pcp.pt/en/elections-national-parliament-4th-october-2015 |title=Elections for the National Parliament, 4th October 2015 |date=28 September 2015 }}</ref> ({{langx|pt|CDU – Coligação Democrática Unitária}}, '''CDU''') is an electoral and political coalition between the Portuguese Communist Party ({{langx|pt|Partido Comunista Português or '''PCP'''}}) and the Ecologist Party "The Greens" (Portuguese: Partido Ecologista "Os Verdes" or '''PEV'''). The coalition also integrates the political movement Democratic Intervention ({{langx|pt|Intervenção Democrática or '''ID'''}}).
The coalition was formed in 1987 in order to run to the simultaneous legislative election and European Parliament election that were held on July 19 of that year. It achieved its best result in the 1987 elections both nationally and locally. From 1991 until 2019, the party consistently won between six and ten percent of the national vote in elections to the Assembly of the Republic until 2022 and 2024, in which the coalition dropped below 5% nationally for the first time. The coalition supported the minority Socialist Costa Government from 2015 until 2019 with a confidence and supply agreement.
== History == Since the beginning of the coalition, the member parties have never participated separately in any election. The Communist Party is the major force of the coalition and has the majority of places in the electoral lists while the Greens are a smaller party. For example, the Greens were responsible for 2 members of parliament among the 17 elected by the coalition in the 2015 legislative election. Each party has its own parliamentary group and counts as a separate party in official issues.
Along with the Left Bloc, the coalition supported the minority Socialist Costa Government from 2015 until 2019 under a confidence and supply agreement.<ref>{{cite web |date=24 November 2015 |title=Presidente da República indicou Secretário-Geral do PS para Primeiro-Ministro |url=http://www.presidencia.pt/?idc=10&idi=98209 |access-date=4 December 2015 |publisher=Presidência da República |language=pt}}</ref> This was known as the "Geringonça" (''Contraption'') deal, a setup that Prime minister António Costa decided to end following the 2019 elections.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Borges |first=Liliana |date=2019-10-11 |title=Catarina Martins lamenta fim da “geringonça” |url=https://www.publico.pt/2019/10/11/politica/noticia/bloco-esquerda-lamenta-fim-geringonca-1889720 |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=PÚBLICO |language=pt}}</ref>
In the 2022 election, the CDU won six seats while the Greens achieved zero seats. In the 2024 election, the CDU won four seats and the Greens zero, with the coalition achieving just 3.3 percent of the votes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 March 2024 |title=CDU desce ainda mais e renova pior resultado eleitoral de sempre |url=https://24.sapo.pt/atualidade/artigos/cdu-desce-ainda-mais-e-renova-pior-resultado-eleitoral-de-sempre |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312022157/https://24.sapo.pt/atualidade/artigos/cdu-desce-ainda-mais-e-renova-pior-resultado-eleitoral-de-sempre |archive-date=12 March 2024 |access-date=12 March 2024 |website=Sapo24 |language=pt}}</ref> In 2024, the coalition lost their historic seat in the Beja district and for the first time lost all MPs in the Alentejo region.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 March 2024 |title=Alentejo. PCP fica sem deputados no ex-bastião e Chega elege três |url=https://rr.sapo.pt/noticia/politica/2024/03/11/alentejo-pcp-fica-sem-deputados-no-ex-bastiao-e-chega-elege-tres/370327/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312022211/https://rr.sapo.pt/noticia/politica/2024/03/11/alentejo-pcp-fica-sem-deputados-no-ex-bastiao-e-chega-elege-tres/370327/ |archive-date=12 March 2024 |access-date=12 March 2024 |website=Renascença |language=pt}}</ref>
==Symbol== The present symbol of CDU shows the PCP's symbol and the PEV's symbol, a hammer and sickle and a sunflower, respectively, with the respective names below. That symbol replaced a former one that featured three hexagons with the inscription: CDU and was often used with a beehive. That was sometimes said to mean that CDU worked just like a bee (collectively and every day) and the hexagons were meant to represent the cell-based Leninist organization of the PCP. <gallery class="center" widths="150" heights="150"> File:CDU Portugal 1987.png|Coalition logo in 1987. File:PCP-PEV.svg|Current logo of the coalition. </gallery>
==Youth organization== The coalition has a youth wing, called Juventude CDU, that develops political work in youth related subjects, along with youth-oriented activities, mainly during the electoral campaigns. The Juventude CDU is mainly composed by members of the youth wings of the parties that compose the CDU, the Portuguese Communist Youth and the Ecolojovem.
==Election results==
===Assembly of the Republic=== <!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[File:autocolante_cdu_pt_01.jpg|thumb|align=right|Early CDU sticker, featuring a bee, intended to be an animal that works every day]] --> thumb|right|CDU results in the local election of 2005. (Azores and Madeira are not shown) '''Vote share in the Portuguese legislative elections''' <timeline> ImageSize = width:600 height:200 PlotArea = width:538 height:170 left:40 bottom:20 AlignBars = justify
Colors = id:CDU value:red legend:CDU
DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:15 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:0
PlotData = bar:Seats color:claret width:25 mark:(line,white) align:left fontsize:S bar:1987 color:CDU from:start till:12.1 text:12.1 bar:1991 color:CDU from:start till:8.8 text:8.8 bar:1995 color:CDU from:start till:8.6 text:8.6 bar:1999 color:CDU from:start till:9.0 text:9.0 bar:2002 color:CDU from:start till:6.9 text:6.9 bar:2005 color:CDU from:start till:7.5 text:7.5 bar:2009 color:CDU from:start till:7.9 text:7.9 bar:2011 color:CDU from:start till:7.9 text:7.9 bar:2015 color:CDU from:start till:8.3 text:8.3 bar:2019 color:CDU from:start till:6.3 text:6.3 bar:2022 color:CDU from:start till:4.3 text:4.3 bar:2024 color:CDU from:start till:3.2 text:3.2 bar:2025 color:CDU from:start till:2.9 text:2.9 </timeline> {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! Election ! width="126px"| Leader ! Votes ! % ! Seats ! +/- ! Government |- ! 1987 | rowspan="2" align=left|Álvaro Cunhal | 689,137 | 12.1 (#3) | {{Composition bar|31|250|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}7 | {{no2|Opposition}} |- ! 1991 | 504,583 | 8.8 (#3) | {{Composition bar|17|230|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}14 | {{no2|Opposition}} |- ! 1995 | rowspan="3" align=left|Carlos Carvalhas | 506,157 | 8.6 (#4) | {{Composition bar|15|230|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}2 | {{no2|Opposition}} |- ! 1999 | 487,058 | 9.0 (#3) | {{Composition bar|17|230|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{increase}}2 | {{no2|Opposition}} |- ! 2002 | 379,870 | 6.9 (#4) | {{Composition bar|12|230|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}5 | {{no2|Opposition}} |- ! 2005 | rowspan="7" align="left" |Jerónimo de Sousa | 433,369 | 7.5 (#3) | {{Composition bar|14|230|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{increase}}2 | {{no2|Opposition}} |- ! 2009 | 446,279 | 7.9 (#5) | {{Composition bar|15|230|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{increase}}1 | {{no2|Opposition}} |- ! 2011 | 441,147 | 7.9 (#4) | {{Composition bar|16|230|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{increase}}1 | {{no2|Opposition}} |- ! rowspan="2" |2015 | rowspan="2" | 445,901 | rowspan="2" |8.3 (#4) | rowspan="2" |{{Composition bar|17|230|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | rowspan="2" |{{increase}}1 | {{no2|Opposition {{small|(2015)}}}} |- | {{partial2|Confidence and supply {{small|(2015–2019)}}}} |- ! 2019 | 332,018 | 6.3 (#4) | {{Composition bar|12|230|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}5 | {{no2|Opposition}} |- ! 2022 | 238,920 | 4.3 (#5) | {{Composition bar|6|230|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{Decrease}}6 | {{no2|Opposition}} |- !2024 | rowspan="2" align=left|Paulo Raimundo | 205,551 | 3.2 (#6) | {{Composition bar|4|230|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{Decrease}}2 | {{no2|Opposition}} |- !2025 | 183,686 | 2.9 (#6) | {{Composition bar|3|230|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{Decrease}}1 | {{no2|Opposition}} |}
=== Presidential === {| class=wikitable style=text-align:center |- ! Election ! Candidate ! Votes ! % ! Result |- ! 1991 | align="left" |Carlos Carvalhas | 635,867 | 12.9 (#3) |{{no2|'''Lost''' {{Nay}}}} |- ! 1996 | align="left" |Jerónimo de Sousa | colspan=3 align="center" |''Withdrew'' |- ! 2001 | align="left" |António Simões de Abreu | 221,886 | 5.1 (#3) |{{no2|'''Lost''' {{Nay}}}} |- ! 2006 | align="left" |Jerónimo de Sousa | 466,428 | 8.6 (#4) |{{no2|'''Lost''' {{Nay}}}} |- ! 2011 | align="left" |Francisco Lopes | 300,921 | 7.1 (#4) |{{no2|'''Lost''' {{Nay}}}} |- ! 2016 | align="left" |Edgar Silva | 183,051 | 3.9 (#5) |{{no2|'''Lost''' {{Nay}}}} |- ! 2021 | align="left" |João Ferreira | 180,518 | 4.3 (#4) |{{no2|'''Lost''' {{Nay}}}} |- !2026 | align="left" |António Filipe |92,644 |1.6 (#7) |{{no2|'''Lost''' {{Nay}}}} |}
===European Parliament=== [[File:autocolante cdu pt 03.jpg|thumb|right|CDU sticker: Schedule and alert your friends: on 13 June (1999), Vote CDU to the European Parliament]] {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! Election ! width="126px"| Leader ! Votes ! % ! Seats ! +/– ! EP Group |- ! 1987 | align=left| Ângelo Veloso | 648,700 | 11.5 (#4) | {{Composition bar|3|24|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | | align=center| COM |- ! 1989 | align=left| Carlos Carvalhas | 597,759 | 14.4 (#3) | {{Composition bar|4|24|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{increase}}1 | align=center|EUL / G |- ! 1994 | align=left|Luis Sá | 340,725 | 11.2 (#4) | {{Composition bar|3|25|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}1 | rowspan=5 align=center| GUE/NGL |- ! 1999 | rowspan=3 align=left| Ilda Figueiredo | 357,671 | 10.3 (#3) | {{Composition bar|2|25|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}1 |- ! 2004 | 309,401 | 9.1 (#3) | {{Composition bar|2|24|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{steady}}0 |- ! 2009 | 379,787 | 10.6 (#4) | {{Composition bar|2|22|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{steady}}0 |- ! 2014 | rowspan=2 align=left| João Ferreira | 416,925 | 12.7 (#3) | {{Composition bar|3|21|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{increase}}1 |- ! 2019 | 228,045 | 6.9 (#4) | {{Composition bar|2|21|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}1 | rowspan=2 align=center| The Left |- ! 2024 | align=left|João Oliveira | 162,630 | 4.1 (#6) | {{Composition bar|1|21|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}1 |}
=== Regional Assemblies === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! Region ! Election ! Leader ! Votes ! % ! Seats ! +/- ! Government |- !Azores !2024 |Marco Varela |1,823 |1.6 (#7) |{{composition bar|0|57|hex=red}} |{{steady}}0 | {{n/a|No seats}} |- ! Madeira ! 2025 | align=left|Edgar Silva | 2,543 | 1.8 (#7) | {{composition bar|0|47|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} |{{steady}}0 | {{n/a|No seats}} |- |}
===Local elections=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! Election ! width="126px"| Leader ! Votes ! % ! Councillors ! +/- ! Mayors ! +/- |- |- ! 1989 | align=left|Álvaro Cunhal | 633,682 | 12.8 (#3) | {{Composition bar|253|1997|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | | {{Composition bar|50|305|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} |- ! 1993 | rowspan="3" align=left|Carlos Carvalhas | 689,928 | 12.8 (#3) | {{Composition bar|246|2015|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}7 | {{Composition bar|49|305|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}1 |- ! 1997 | 643,956 | 12.0 (#3) | {{Composition bar|236|2021|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}10 | {{Composition bar|41|305|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}8 |- ! 2001 | 557,481 | 10.6 (#3) | {{Composition bar|202|2044|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}34 | {{Composition bar|28|308|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}13 |- ! 2005 | rowspan="5" align=left|Jerónimo de Sousa | 590,598 | 11.0 (#3) | {{Composition bar|203|2046|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{increase}}1 | {{Composition bar|32|308|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{increase}}4 |- ! 2009 | 537,329 | 9.7 (#3) | {{Composition bar|174|2078|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}29 | {{Composition bar|28|308|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}4 |- ! 2013 | 552,506 | 11.1 (#3) | {{Composition bar|213|2086|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{increase}}39 | {{Composition bar|34|308|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{increase}}6 |- ! 2017 | 489,189 | 9.5 (#3) | {{Composition bar|171|2074|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}42 | {{Composition bar|24|308|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}10 |- ! 2021 | 410,666 | 8.2 (#3) | {{Composition bar|148|2064|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}23 | {{Composition bar|19|308|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}5 |- ! 2025 | align=left|Paulo Raimundo | 316,273 | 5.7 (#4) | {{Composition bar|93|2058|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}55 | {{Composition bar|12|308|{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}}}} | {{decrease}}7 |}
==Notes== {{Notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.cdu.pt CDU Official Site] *[http://www.pcp.pt Portuguese Communist Party Official Site] *[http://www.osverdes.pt "The Greens" Official Site]
{{Portuguese political parties}} {{Authority control}}
Category:1987 establishments in Portugal Category:Communist parties in Portugal Category:Eco-socialist parties Category:Euroscepticism in Portugal Category:Left-conservative parties Category:Left-wing political party alliances Category:Political parties established in 1987 Category:Political party alliances in Portugal Category:Portuguese Communist Party