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Portugal - Politics |
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In 1974 a bloodless military coup, known as the Revolution of
Carnations, overturned the dictatorship regime that had governed Portugal for much of the
first half of the 20 th century. The country then returned to democracy with a succession of
temporary governments until formal elections were held in 1976.
President
The President of Portugal is the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the armed
forces. A President is elected for a term of five years with a maximum
tenure of two consecutive terms. The current President, Jorge Sampaio, was re-elected in 2001.
As President Mr Sampaio has the authority to appoint a prime minister, to declare war, to
dismiss the government and to dissolve parliament.
Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is elected by Parliament and the Council of Ministers before
being formally appointed by the President. The current Prime Minister, Jose Socrates,
was elected in March 2005 after his Socialist Party won an absolute majority in the general
election.
Interestingly, this is the first time a party has attained an absolute majority since
democracy was restored in 1974. However, Mr Socrates does not have an easy
task ahead of him, the country is faced with growing economic problems including budget
deficits and rising unemployment. |
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