Portugal is a unitary multi-party semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the prime minister is the head of government, and the president is the non-executive head of state which, although it is a somewhat ceremonial figure, has some significant political powers they exercise often.Duties of the President – Head of State . Official Page of the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic. Retrieved 7 September 2021. Executive power is exercised by the government, whose leader is the prime minister. Legislative power is primarily vested in the Assembly of the Republic (the Portuguese parliament), although the government is also able to legislate on certain matters.The Assembleia da República as a body that exercises sovereign power. Assembleia da República. Retrieved 7 September 2021. The Judiciary of Portugal is independent of the executive and the legislature. The President exerts a sort of "moderating power", not easily classified into any of the traditional three branches of government.
Since 1975, the party system has been dominated by the center-left Socialist Party and the liberal-conservative Social Democratic Party, but in the 2025 snap elections, the nationalist far-right Chega managed to achieve 23% of the popular vote and got 60 seats in the Assembly of the Republic, leading the opposition.
The 2025 Economist Democracy Index classified Portugal as a "Full democracy", ranking number 20th worldwide, while the 2026 V-Dem Democracy Indices ranked Portugal as the 23rd most electoral democratic country in the world, but, for the first time, put the country on the V-Dem's Watchlist of countries very close to becoming autocratizers.
Political background The national and regional governments are dominated by two political parties, the centre-left Socialist Party (PS), a social-democratic party, and the centre-right, liberal-conservative Social Democratic Party (PSD), which have similar basic policies in some respects: both are pro-European, support NATO membership and the welfare state. Other parties with seats in parliament are Chega, the Portuguese Communist Party, the Left Bloc, LIVRE, the Liberal Initiative and People-Animals-Nature. The Communists and the Ecologist Party "The Greens" run in a coalition as the Unitary Democratic Coalition.
In the Portuguese legislative election of 2011, the PSD won enough seats to form a majority government with the Christian democratic People's Party (CDS-PP). The coalition, led by Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho, was supported by a majority in the Parliament, with 132 of the 230 MPs. The major opposition party was the Socialist Party (the party of the former prime minister José Sócrates, in office 2005–2011) with 74 MPs. Also represented were the Portuguese Communist Party (14 MPs), "The Greens" (2 MPs) and the Left Bloc (8 MPs), all to the left of the governing coalition.
In the 2015 elections, which the PSD and CDS-PP contested as a coalition, Portugal Ahead, the government lost its absolute majority. The left-wing parties, the Socialist Party, Portuguese Communist Party, Ecologist Party "The Greens", and Left Bloc, argued that as they were willing to form a coalition which would have a majority in the assembly, they ought to be invited to form the government, while Portugal Ahead, as the largest grouping, argued that they should be invited to form the government. After three weeks of uncertainty, the President designated Passos Coelho as prime minister, which was followed by the formation of a minority government. However, the plan was rejected by the Parliament. It was the shortest-lived Portuguese national government since the Carnation Revolution. After that, the left-wing parties supported a minority government led by the Socialist Party (PS). António Costa's first government was formed on 26 November 2015.
In the Portuguese legislative of 2019, the centre-left PS of incumbent Prime Minister Costa obtained the largest share of the vote, and the most seats. On 26 October 2019, there was established a new PS minority government led by Prime Minister António Costa. In the snap 2022 election the ruling PS won an outright majority. Following the Operation Influencer police searches, in November 2023, António Costa resigned and snap elections were called for 10 March 2024, which were won by the Democratic Alliance.
History
The first constitution was created in 1822 (following the Liberal Revolution of 1820), followed by a second in 1826, followed by a third in 1838 (after the Liberal Wars), a fourth in 1911 (following the 5 October 1910 revolution), and a fifth 1933 (after the 28 May 1926 coup d'état).
Portugal's 25 April 1976 constitution reflected the country's 1974–76 move from authoritarian rule to provisional military government to a representative democracy with some initial Communist and left-wing influence. The military coup in 1974, which became known as the Carnation Revolution, was a result of multiple internal and external factors like the colonial wars that ended in removing the dictator, Marcelo Caetano, from power. The prospect of a communist takeover in Portugal generated considerable concern among the country's NATO allies. The revolution also led to the country abruptly abandoning its colonies overseas and to the return of an estimated 600,000 Portuguese citizens from abroad. The 1976 constitution, which defined Portugal as a "Republic... engaged in the formation of a classless society," was revised in 1982, 1989, 1992, 1997, 2001, and 2004.
The 1982 revision of the constitution placed the military under strict civilian control, trimmed the powers of the president, and abolished the Revolutionary Council (a military body with legislative veto and quasi-judicial powers). The country joined the European Union in 1986, beginning a path toward greater economic and political integration with its richer neighbors in Europe. The 1989 revision of the constitution eliminated much of the remaining Marxist rhetoric of the original document, abolished the communist-inspired "agrarian reform", and laid the groundwork for further privatization of nationalized firms and the government-owned communications media. The 1992 revision made it compatible with the Maastricht Treaty.
The current Portuguese constitution provides for progressive administrative decentralization and calls for future reorganization on a regional basis. The Azores and Madeira archipelagos have constitutionally mandated autonomous status. A regional autonomy statute promulgated in 1980 established the Government of the Autonomous Region of the Azores; the Government of the Autonomous Region of Madeira operates under a provisional autonomy statute in effect since 1976. Apart from the Azores and Madeira, the country is divided into 18 districts, each headed by a governor appointed by the Minister of Internal Administration. Macau, a former dependency, reverted to Chinese sovereignty in December 1999.
1st and 2nd Constitutional Governments (1976–1978)
The Socialist Party, under the leadership of Mário Soares, rose to power after the 1976 legislative elections and formed the I Constitutional Government. However, this government faced a lot of problems due to the country's economic situation, losing a vote of confidence in 1977, and in 1978, the II Constitutional Government, a coalition between the Socialists and the Democratic and Social Centre, was sworn in. The coalition only lasted eight months and Mário Soares resigned.
3rd, 4th and 5th Constitutional Governments (1978–1980) President Eanes then nominated the 3rd Constitutional Government, under the leadership of Alfredo Nobre da Costa, which was sworn in on late August 1978, but lasted just three months as it failed to gain Parliamentary support.
The 4th Constitutional Government, under the leadership of Carlos Mota Pinto, was sworn in on late November 1978, but, like the previous government, lasted very little, eight months, due to its failure to pass policies in Parliament.
The president then swore in the 5th Constitutional Government, under the leadership of Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, the first and still only female prime minister in Portuguese history. The government managed the country until the early elections of December 1979.
6th, 7th, 8th Constitutional Governments (1980–1983)
The Democratic Alliance, under the leadership of Francisco Sá Carneiro, won the 1979 legislative elections by a big margin and the 6th Constitutional Government was sworn in in January 1980. Sá Carneiro's tenure was short lived as he died in a plane crash in December 1980.
In January 1981, the Social Democratic Party, the main party within the Democratic Alliance, elected Francisco Pinto Balsemão as leader and the 7th Constitutional Government was sworn in. Internal issues within the Alliance forced a new government to take office, the VIII Constitutional Government, in September 1981, also led by Pinto Balsemão. Balsemão resigned in late 1982.
9th Constitutional Government (1983–1985) The Socialist Party, under the leadership of Mário Soares, returned to power after the 1983 legislative election and formed a Central Bloc government, the 9th Constitutional Government, between the two main parties, the Socialists and the Social Democrats. This government had to impose a severe economic bailout, through the IMF, to save the country's finances, but this led to a major social crisis with increased unemployment and poverty. Soares resigned in June 1985 after the Social Democrats withdrew from government following internal party problems.
10th, 11th, 12th Constitutional Governments (1985–1995)
The Social Democratic Party, under the leadership of Aníbal Cavaco Silva, rose to power after the 1985 legislative elections and formed a minority government. However, the government lost the confidence of Parliament in April 1987 after losing a non-confidence vote.1987. Da moção de censura à primeira maioria de Cavaco Jornal i, 30 August 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2022. After this, President Mário Soares called an early election for July 1987.Comunicação ao país de Mário Soares RTP Arquivo, 28 April 1987. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
The 1987 early elections were held on 19 July and resulted in a landslide majority government for the Social Democrats, the first time a party won a majority on its own in democracy.1987 – Maioria absoluta do PSD RTP, 4 July 2007. Retrieved 24 April 2022. The XI Constitutional Government, the first one to finish a full 4-year term in democracy, was sworn in on 17 August 1987. During this term, the PSD government initiated a big program of liberalization and privatization of several sectors of the economy.A "década de betão" do cavaquismo RTP, 7 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
In the 1991 election the Social Democrats were returned again to power and, also, with an absolute majority. It was the third consecutive election victory for the PSD, a record in democracy. The XII Constitutional Government was sworn in on 31 October 1991. After 1992, the economy fell into a recession and despite the recession being over by mid 1994, the government was badly hit and Cavaco Silva decided to not run for a fourth term as prime minister.Bloqueio da ponte. O princípio do fim do cavaquismo foi há 25 anos Diário de Notícias, 22 July 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2022. Cavaco Silva's 10-year tenure as prime minister is the longest, so far, in democracy.Cavaco Silva: os 10 anos como primeiro-ministro Diário de Notícias, 8 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
13th and 14th Constitutional Governments (1995–2002)