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Portugal Page |
Welcome to ElectionInfo.com's pages on Portugal
Official Name: Portuguese Republic
Capital: Lisbon
Area: 92,390 square kilometres ( 35,672 square miles )
Major cities (Population): Lisbon 1,863,000 (1995)
Population: 9,823,000 (1995 estimate)
Population growth rate: -0.1 per cent (1990-1995 average)
Type of government: Republic
Independence: 1140 (independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910)
Constitution: 25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982 and 1 June 1989
Voting Rights: Universal at age 18
Government
The president, who is directly elected for a five-year term, is head of state. The prime minister, who is appointed by the president but who is responsible to the legislature, is head of government. The unicameral assembly of the republic has 230 members who are directly elected for four-year terms by a form of proportional representation. The voting age is 18.
Recent History
Republicanism began to grow in the late 19th century, and in 1910 the monarchy of Portugal was overthrown and a republic declared. Political rivalries, however, resulted in instability, coups, and countercoups. Stability was reestablished after António de Oliveira Salazar was named finance minister in 1928 and became prime minister in 1932. During Salazar’s four decades of dictatorship he followed a policy of isolationism aimed at preserving Portugal as a rural and religious society immune to the modernizing tendencies evident elsewhere in Europe.
In 1968 Salazar had a stroke and stepped down. He was succeeded by Marcello Caetano, who introduced some reforms but continued an authoritarian style of government until a socialist military group, led by General António de Spínola, took control in April 1974 and vowed to restore democracy. The first two governments that followed elections in 1976 were led by Mário Soares of the Socialist Party (PS). In 1980 a centre-right coalition took over and was replaced in 1983 by a Soares-led coalition between the PS and the Social Democrats (PSD). In 1985 the PSD became the largest party, and in 1987 and 1991 it won an absolute majority. Soares, who stood down as prime minister in 1985, was elected president in 1986 and re-elected in 1991. In 1996 Jorge Sampaio was elected president after António Guterres, from the Socialist party, succeeded Cavaco Silva as the Portuguese prime minister.
The restoration of democracy came as a great relief after the repression of the Salazar years; the Portuguese have relished their relatively recent freedoms, and most take a great interest in political issues. Differences still exist between the region south of the River Tagus, which was traditionally an area of large estates, rich landowners, and more liberal attitudes, and the north, where many conservative smallholders live.
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