Political parties – Portugal FAQs for Expats

Question 1

What is the AD (Democratic Alliance)?

Accepted Answer

- Leader: Luís Montenegro (Prime Minister)
- Ideology: Liberal conservatism, pro-Europeanism
- Coalition: Social Democratic Party (PSD) + CDS–People's Party (CDS-PP)

The Democratic Alliance (*Aliança Democrática*, AD) is a center-right coalition primarily composed of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) with 89 seats and the CDS–People's Party (CDS-PP) with 2 seats. Together, they form the current minority government under Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.

The PSD, despite its name, occupies the center-right of Portugal's political spectrum and has been one of Portugal's two dominant parties since 1974, having formed nine governments including four with absolute majorities. The CDS-PP is a smaller Christian democratic party that has historically been the PSD's coalition partner.

The AD coalition governs without a parliamentary majority, requiring case-by-case support from opposition parties to pass legislation. The coalition has imposed a *cordon sanitaire* against Chega, refusing formal cooperation with the far-right despite its parliamentary strength, which means it must negotiate with the PS or smaller parties to advance its legislative agenda.

Question 2

What is the Chega political party?

Accepted Answer

Chega ("Enough") is a Portuguese far-right populist party founded in 2019 by André Ventura. It positions itself as an anti-establishment movement against what it calls a "rotten and corrupt system" of PS-PSD dominance. The party surged from 1.3% in 2019 to 22.8% in May 2025, becoming parliament's second-largest force with 60 seats.
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Chega's core platform emphasizes strict immigration control—ending automatic CPLP residency, deporting non-independent immigrants, implementing job-market quotas, and requiring five-year social security contributions before benefit access. It advocates radical constitutional reform, including reducing parliament to 100 members, abolishing the prime minister position for a presidential system, and dismantling public healthcare. Law-and-order policies include life imprisonment and chemical castration proposals.

The party is defined by inflammatory anti-Romani rhetoric, with Ventura convicted multiple times for discrimination. Chega maintains international alignments with European far-right figures including Marine Le Pen, Santiago Abascal, and Matteo Salvini. Mainstream Portuguese parties, including Prime Minister Luís Montenegro's government, have imposed a cordon sanitaire, refusing coalition with Chega despite its parliamentary strength.

Question 3

What is the Liberal Initiative (IL)?

Accepted Answer

- Leader: Mariana Leitão (since July 2025)
- Ideology: Classical liberalism, economic libertarianism

Founded in 2017, the Liberal Initiative advocates for reduced state intervention, tax simplification, labor market liberalization, and secular liberalism under the motto "Less State, More Freedom". The party gained its first parliamentary seat in 2019 and now holds 9 seats.
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Mariana Leitão, 42, became the party's first female leader in July 2025 after Rui Rocha resigned following disappointing 2025 election results. Leitão previously served as parliamentary leader and has been announced as the party's candidate for the 2026 presidential election. The party explicitly rejects alliances with both far-left and far-right parties, positioning itself as the "only alternative" that won't negotiate with extremes.

Question 4

Where does João Cotrim de Figueiredo and Iniciativa Liberal typically draw their voter support from?

Accepted Answer

Iniciativa Liberal and João Cotrim de Figueiredo tend to draw support from urban, economically liberal voters — often professionals, entrepreneurs and higher‑income residents in cities like Lisbon and Porto — who prioritise lower taxes, deregulation and individual freedoms. The party also attracts some younger voters and expatriates who favour pro‑market policies and a smaller state role.

Question 5

What is the Left Bloc (BE)?

Accepted Answer

- Leader: Currently vacant (Mariana Mortágua resigned October 2025)
- Ideology: Democratic socialism, eco-socialism, feminism
- Founded: 1999

The Left Bloc (*Bloco de Esquerda*, BE) is a Portuguese left-wing party founded in 1999 as a coalition of far-left movements (UDP, PSR, and Política XXI). It positioned itself as a modern, progressive alternative to the traditional left, attracting younger urban voters with campaigns on social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, drug policy reform, housing, and labor protections.

The party's peak influence came during the 2015–2019 *Geringonça* ("contraption") government, when it supported António Costa's PS minority administration alongside the PCP. This arrangement reversed austerity measures and presided over economic recovery, giving BE significant policy leverage.

Since then, the party has suffered a sharp electoral decline — from 19 seats in 2015 to just 1 seat in the May 2025 election, its worst result in history. Leader Mariana Mortágua resigned in October 2025 after failing to reverse the slide. The party is currently undergoing a leadership contest and internal debate about its future direction, squeezed between the PS on one side and Livre on the other.

Question 6

What is the PCP (Portuguese Communist Party)?

Accepted Answer

The Portuguese Communist Party (PCP or *Partido Comunista Português*) is a Marxist‑Leninist party founded in 1921 out of the revolutionary trade‑union and anarcho‑syndicalist movement, becoming the Portuguese section of the Comintern in 1923. Banned after the 1926 coup, it went underground and became a central force of resistance to the Estado Novo dictatorship, organizing clandestine unions, anti‑fascist struggle and supporting the colonial liberation movements. After the 1974 Carnation Revolution, the PCP was pivotal in land reform, nationalisations and embedding social rights in the 1976 Constitution, especially in the Alentejo and Setúbal regions where it has long been very strong.

Today the PCP is a smaller but still influential party rooted in the CGTP trade‑union confederation and local government, holding a handful of Assembly seats and one MEP in the Left group. It advocates a “patriotic and left‑wing alternative”: defence of workers’ rights, public services and national sovereignty, strong criticism of EU and NATO constraints, and support for socialist countries and anti‑imperialist causes.

Question 7

What is the PS (Socialist Party)?

Accepted Answer

*Socialist Party (PS)*

- Leader: José Luís Carneiro (since June 2025)
- Ideology: Center-left, Social democracy, pro-Europeanism

Portugal's other traditional major party suffered a historic collapse in the 2025 election, dropping from 78 to 58 seats and falling to third place for the first time in democratic history. The party was led by Pedro Nuno Santos from January 2024 until his resignation following the May 2025 defeat. José Luís Carneiro, a 53-year-old former Minister of Internal Administration known for his moderate positioning within the party, was elected unopposed as the new Secretary-General with 95% of votes in June 2025.
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The Socialist Party governed Portugal from 2015 to 2024, including an absolute majority from 2022 to 2024 under António Costa, who resigned in November 2023 amid a corruption investigation. The PS previously led the innovative "Geringonça" (contraption) coalition government from 2015-2019, a minority government supported by the Left Bloc and Portuguese Communist Party that reversed austerity measures and presided over economic recovery.

Question 8

What is the PSD (Social Democratic Party)?

Accepted Answer

The Social Democratic Party ('Partido Social Democrata' or 'PSD') is a liberal-conservative political party in Portugal that is the leading partner of the The Democratic Alliance (AD) which is the country's ruling party, with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.

The Social Democratic Party, despite its name, occupies the centre-right of Portugal's political spectrum. Luís Montenegro, who became Prime Minister in April 2024, leads Portugal's current minority government. The PSD has been one of Portugal's two dominant parties since 1974, having formed nine governments including four with absolute majorities. Montenegro, a former party leader from 1996-1999, was elected with the highest approval rating among party leaders at 10.7 points out of 20.

The Democratic Alliance is a centre-right coalition that includes the smaller CDS – People's Party, a Christian democratic party that has historically been the PSD's coalition partner. Together, they govern without a parliamentary majority, requiring case-by-case support from opposition parties to pass legislation.

Question 9

What is a motion of no confidence?

Accepted Answer

A motion of no confidence (*moção de censura*) is a formal parliamentary procedure used by opposition parties to challenge the government's mandate. If the motion passes with a majority vote, the government is required to resign, potentially leading to a change in leadership or new elections.

Question 10

What is Grupo 1143?

Accepted Answer

Grupo 1143 is an alleged neo‑Nazi group that the Judicial Police (PJ) dismantled this week, according to the Public Prosecutor's Office. Prosecutors say the group was preparing actions that insulted the Prophet Muhammad intended to provoke negative reactions from the Muslim community and are investigating possible criminal offences.

Question 11

What is PAN and what issues does it focus on?

Accepted Answer

PAN (People–Animals–Nature; *Pessoas–Animais–Natureza*) is a small Portuguese political party, founded in the late 2000s, that emphasises animal welfare, environmental protection and social rights and has held seats in the national parliament since the mid‑2010s. While small, PAN can influence legislation on environmental, animal‑welfare and consumer issues that affect everyday life for residents.

Question 12

What is the CDS–PP?

Accepted Answer

The CDS–PP is the Democratic and Social Centre – People's Party (*Centro Democrático e Social – Partido Popular*), a small centre-right, Christian-democratic party founded in 1974. It often partners with the larger PSD in parliament; in February 2026 it voted with the PSD and IL to approve a housing package, so its parliamentary support can influence housing and other policy outcomes.

Question 13

What is the JSD?

Accepted Answer

The JSD (*Juventude Social Democrata*) is the youth wing of the Social Democratic Party (*Partido Social Democrata* or *PSD*). It operates as an autonomous political organization that represents the interests of young people within the party and advocates for specific youth-oriented policies.

Question 14

What is the LIVRE political party?

Accepted Answer

- Leader: Rui Tavares
- Ideology: Green left-wing politics, libertarian socialism

LIVRE (meaning "Free") is a green left-wing party founded in 2014 by historian and former MEP Rui Tavares. The party struggled for years before finally electing Tavares as its first MP in 2022, then grew to 4 seats in 2024 and 6 seats in 2025—making it the only progressive party to gain ground in recent elections. LIVRE focuses on environmental protection, human rights, and progressive social policies while maintaining a pro-European stance.