Latest news and stories about democracy in Portugal for expats and residents.
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The President of the Republic is the institutional survivor of a certain idea of the left. The polls leave no doubt. With the electoral collapse to the left of the PS, the country is experiencing a rare and strange political situation – Portuguese democracy is a democracy of the right. The left is reduced to a vocal and folkloric function.
It is not within the current parliamentary framework that Seguro will find the environment he wishes to see cultivated.
This is the influence of these “influencers”. The ostracism I wanted for them is for them to be left talking to themselves, but that will never happen — we are not the Athenians of the 5th century. Opinion by José Pacheco Pereira
The government (which legislated on leasing), Chega (which really does not want labour reform), and the PSD and PS (which expelled a journalist from Parliament) are the Good, the Bad, and the Villain.
The success of the Constitution is based on the consensus that gave rise to it. A Constitution that was born with a vocation that was simultaneously socialist and open, transformative and pluralistic.
CNN Portugal commentator Luís Rosa argues that former Prime Minister José Sócrates' attempts to stall his trial undermine public trust in democracy, while Minister Leitão Amaro emphasizes the need to protect media independence from political interference.
He walked up the Palace ramp shortly after 1:30 PM, hand in hand with Margarida and their children, Maria and António. This image contrasts with Marcelo, who is always alone on the symbolic days of his terms. While not the most important aspect of this Monday, March 9th, it is a sign—there is a difference between a man who enters and leaves alone and one who crosses the riverbank carrying an idea of family and sharing. The new President of the Republic has the responsibility to be a beacon in a time of deep uncertainty. It is normal that he slept little today; he surely woke up without the need for an alarm clock, as if he were a child on the first day of school again. He will have a busy schedule, but I hope that in the coming years he can find room for silence, to be with himself alone, without opinions, meetings, lunches, or dinners, and without people wanting something. We need new words, new ideas, new protagonists, and new energy. The new President of the Republic has the responsibility to be a beacon in a time of deep uncertainty where we seem to be at the mercy of the wind or condemned to be lost at sea. There are bombs falling in the Middle East and Ukraine. There is a radicalism growing in the bowels of countries. There is a loss of faith in Democracy and Politics. There is a society that remains unequal. There are thousands of young people who do not know when they will be able to fulfil their potential. There is a country we love, and so often despise, that needs someone to wind up the clock of hope and stimulate the best we have. Good luck, Mr. President. A hug, dear António.
How to promote democracy without democratic practice?
The inaugurated President, António José Seguro, decorated the former President of the Republic with the Grand Collar of the Order of Liberty. This honorary distinction is awarded to individuals with extraordinary achievements in the defence of democracy and human rights.
On the continent, regional power is decided in offices, while on the islands, it is decided at the polls.
On January 18, Isabel Moreira, a member of the Socialist Party, submitted a report to the Constitutional Affairs Committee for the admission of a petition to potentially ban Chega as a racist and fascist party. Moreira argues that Chega does not respect the essential values and principles of the Portuguese Constitution. The petition currently has 12,000 signatures. Moreira's actions are understood as an attempt to combat Chega's ideas and practices, which dangerously approach the violation of fundamental democratic values. However, it is questionable whether this is the most effective way for Moreira to achieve her goals. Chega is currently the second-largest party in parliament, with André Ventura receiving around 1.7 million votes in the presidential elections. This indicates that there are over 1.7 million Portuguese voters for Chega, encompassing a diverse range of opinions. While some may support Salazarism, others reject it, and there are moderates and disillusioned former socialists and communists within Chega's base. Chega's rise is not solely ideological; many voters are disenchanted with the current system that fails to improve their lives. Moreira's petition will soon be discussed in Parliament, bringing Chega back into the political spotlight. If approved, it will be sent to the Constitutional Court, which has never banned a parliamentary party. While Chega has its share of unsavoury characters, it also includes qualified individuals. Moreira knows Chega is a populist party, but its historical connection to Nazism or Italian fascism is tenuous. The most effective way to combat Chega is to modernise Portuguese society and improve living conditions for its citizens. Moreira has a platform to challenge Chega's ideas, and initiating a ban on a party with 1.7 million votes may be counterproductive.
The moderate centre has won the presidential elections, showing that the majority of Portuguese people continue to value democracy, restraint, and respect for the established rules in our Constitution. In a time marked by noise, polarization, and the uncritical import of radical discourses, this result is a clear sign of political maturity and trust in institutions. The victory of the centre reveals something essential: most people do not desire a democracy in constant tension, nor a politics reduced to moral confrontation. They prefer stability, predictability, and leaders capable of exercising power with restraint. However, it would be a tragic mistake to interpret this result as a destination. In reality, António José Seguro's victory marks the beginning of an even more demanding phase. To protect democracy in Portugal, it is essential to recognize that moderation alone is not enough. Moderation is only politically sustainable when it goes hand in hand with effective governance. Without concrete results in people's lives, moderation risks becoming mere defensive rhetoric, vulnerable to easy criticism from the extremes. Governing today is an intrinsically complex exercise. Contemporary societies face interconnected challenges such as demographics, sustainability, technology, and social inequalities, which do not allow for simple solutions or ideological responses. Effective public policies require a scientific basis, rigorous analysis, continuous evaluation, and the ability to correct course. Responsible governance is not done by intuition or slogans, but through informed decisions and difficult choices made with transparency and seriousness. When politics abdicates knowledge and replaces evidence with conviction, the public space deteriorates and citizens' trust weakens. It is precisely in that void that populist discourses thrive, fed by false promises and the illusion of quick solutions to structural problems. Moderation loses credibility when it does not deliver results. At the same time, it is essential to have solid understanding in areas that directly affect people's well-being. Health, Justice, Education, and housing cannot continue to be hostages of permanent cycles of party conflict. These are pillars of social cohesion and require strategic commitments in the medium and long term, regardless of political alternations. Governing from the centre does not mean eliminating differences. On the contrary, disagreement is a constitutive part of democracy. But there is a clear difference between civilized disagreement and deliberate paralysis. Democratic parties must relearn to disagree without delegitimizing, to debate without destroying bridges, and to recognize that strategic convergence in fundamental areas is a condition for democratic stability. The centre won because it offered moderation at a time of conflict saturation. Now it must prove that this moderation is compatible with effective governance. Democracy is defended not only at the polls but, above all, in the quality of public decisions and the ability to tangibly improve people's lives. When José Ortega y Gasset writes, “I am I and my circumstances,” he reminds us that democratic politics fails whenever it ignores the real context in which people live. Reading the circumstances, understanding them, and transforming them into effective policies is today the true test of the centre and, with it, the resilience of Portuguese democracy.
The leader of PAN, Inês Sousa Real, today called for participation in the elections, stating that it is about “preserving democracy,” and advocated for changes to electoral law to ensure the voting rights of emigrants and personnel on missions.
Regardless of ideological differences within the democratic camp, mobilising and voting for António José Seguro on the upcoming 8th is an act of defending democracy. Opinion by Manuel Carlos Silva
Democracy does not need romanticism, nor cults of popular glorification or sacrosanct claims that ascribe moral virtues to it.
In an interview with SIC, António José Seguro said that André Ventura is “a risk to democracy” and urged the Portuguese to repudiate him, accusing him of promoting disinformation.
The judicialisation of politics is presented as a sign of democratic maturity. However, real‑life experience shows a different picture.
Throughout history, culture and democracy have gone hand in hand. What is at stake when a culture becomes polarised is the country's future as a thinking society. Opinion by Vivien Merciel Suarez
When in a few years' time we look back, there will be no doubt that we are witnessing a global insurgency against the liberal order. Opinion by Pedro Adão e Silva
With the second round of the presidential elections approaching, these books explain in simple terms fundamental concepts such as democracy, politics, the Republic and the Constitution.
High-calibre democrats and anti-fascists only emphasise the 'danger' that André Ventura may represent.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, argues that Portugal's accession to the then EEC marked “the great turning point” for the country, consolidating democracy, accelerating economic development and strengthening its links abroad. Four decades after joining the European Union, the Portuguese diplomat believes it “changed everything” about Portugal's reality.
Ten years after her death, Maria Barroso remains irreplaceable. First lady, actress, the only female founding member of the Socialist Party (PS), a grandmother who phoned her grandson every day. “A woman above all titles who, in elections like the ones we are experiencing, would not be neutral in choosing democracy and humanism.”
