Latest news and stories about constitutional history in Portugal for expats and residents.
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The fundamental law that remained in force the longest in Portugal owes its success to the flexibility of a text that proved capable of adapting to the changing political will of the country over 72 years.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Constitution requires historical rigour often lost in commemorative rhetoric. While the official narrative focuses on the 1974 revolution or the 1976 Constitution, the author argues that Portugal lived under a 'tutored democracy' until the 1982 constitutional revision. This revision was the true turning point, ending military oversight by the Council of the Revolution, dismantling the socialist-leaning legal framework, and opening the door to private initiative and economic freedom. The text concludes that while 1982 provided the structure for liberty and European integration, the country has since stagnated, burdened by a bureaucratic, centralist state that continues to stifle individual initiative.
