Latest news and stories about political history in Portugal for expats and residents.
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Text read at the presentation of the book 'In the 1975 Earthquake', dedicated to the often-forgotten political prisoners of the Revolution, especially the author's father, Ruy Moreira.
The article commemorates 40 years of Spain and Portugal's membership in the European Union. It highlights a formal plenary session where Spanish King Felipe VI and Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa addressed Members of the European Parliament, reflecting on the significance of their countries' EU membership and their contributions over the decades.
Political power is not interested in the proper functioning of the courts, in an attitude that is not only negligent, but one of connivance with impunity.
Rangel recalls Cavaco's leadership era and has no doubt that “no one did more for Portugal's image within the European communities” than the former President of the Republic.
This article highlights Portugal's 40th anniversary of joining the European Community (now the European Union), commemorated with a special postage stamp issued by CTT. Paulo Rangel praised former Prime Minister Cavaco Silva for his pivotal role during Portugal's first decade of European integration, emphasizing his enthusiasm, discipline, and leadership in positioning Portugal as a respected partner within the EU. Rangel underscored Cavaco Silva's significant influence on Portugal's image and integration process, noting that his efforts helped establish Portugal as an equal member of the EU. The event also featured a stamp depicting the 1985 Treaty of Accession signing, symbolizing Portugal's commitment to Europe.
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.
He slept at the JS headquarters, distributed condoms in Bairro Alto, and always showed an extraordinary capacity for work. Seguro, or Tozé, took office a few days ago, but he already seems older.
The former Portuguese President and PM was recognised for his role in the accession to the EEC, the negotiation of the Maastricht Treaty, and the first Portuguese presidency of the EU.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced that former Portuguese President Aníbal Cavaco Silva has been awarded the title of Honorary Member of the European Order of Merit. This new distinction recognises individuals who have contributed significantly to European values, cooperation, and progress. Cavaco Silva was honoured for his pivotal role in Portugal's accession to the European Economic Community during his time as Prime Minister, as well as his support for the Maastricht Treaty and the Lisbon Treaty. Other notable recipients in this inaugural edition include Volodymyr Zelensky, Angela Merkel, and Lech Walesa.
1961-2026: Minister of the Presidency in the governments of Durão Barroso and Santana Lopes, he experienced politics with brilliance and seriousness, leaving his mark on the party and the country.
The article details Portugal's transition to the 3rd Republic after 1974, highlighting the pivotal events of the Carnation Revolution on April 25, 1974. This military-led coup, carried out by the Movimento das Forças Armadas (MFA), ended the Estado Novo regime, which had maintained colonial control over African territories. The revolution was driven by discontent with prolonged colonial wars, economic struggles, and social unrest. Key figures included military officers like Salgueiro Maia and Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho. Following the coup, Portugal abolished its authoritarian regime, and the MFA, with Marxist influences, gained control over media, education, and land redistribution, especially in the Alentejo. The revolution marked the beginning of decolonization, with movements for independence emerging across African colonies such as Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea. Despite claims of economic hardship, colonial territories contributed significantly to Portugal's economy. The event is famously known as the “Revolução dos Cravos” (Carnation Revolution), symbolizing peaceful change and the end of authoritarian rule.
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The work will be installed beside the Caxias prison and will be an “artistic and ethical gesture evoking resistance and the struggle for freedom,” the municipality says.
He played a decisive role in the 25 November events and served two terms as President of the Republic (between 1976 and 1986).
Mário Soares dominated the vote in only eight municipalities in the first round of the 1986 presidential election and in 140 municipalities in the second round. Freitas do Amaral won in most municipalities, but lost the election.
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.”
Historian Peter Booker, co-founder of the Algarve History Association (AHA), will present a lecture on Afonso Costa – a man during his lifetime as much loved as he was hated. The post History lecture: Afonso Costa’s role in the Portuguese Republic appeared first on Portugal Resident.
The general served as President of the Republic from 1976 to 1986, succeeding Francisco da Costa Gomes. Mário Soares and Cavaco Silva are at the bottom of this ranking.
Historian José Manuel Sardica outlines the commonalities between these elections and the 1986 presidential election, the only one to elect a president in a second round.
Mário Crespo and Henrique Garcia recall the 1986 presidential elections, one of the most intense in the history of Portuguese democracy.
The most emblematic presidential election of 1986 was the only one in which a President of the Republic was elected in the second round. The race for Belém Palace began with four candidates but ended up pitting Mário Soares against Freitas do Amaral.
Veteran socialist Mário Soares was the President of the Republic elected with the highest vote share: he received 70.35% in the 1996 election.
A snapshot of a political era, the series “A Duas Voltas: Mário Soares e as Presidenciais de 1986” revisits Portugal’s most hotly contested presidential elections using archive footage (televised debates, interviews, reports) and previously unseen interviews.
In this episode of 'History Repeats Itself', Margarida de Magalhães Ramalho and Lourenço Pereira Coutinho invited journalist João Reis Alves, author of the book 'The Second Round, 1986: the elections that changed the country', to discuss the historic 1986 presidential elections. What was the Portuguese political, economic and social context on the eve of those elections?
Posters have long been a staple of political campaigns. They are the communication category with the highest projected spending for the 2026 presidential election, in a contest that puts Luís Marques Mendes in the lead. But what about the past of this communication tool? What stories do the campaigns of 1976, 1986, 1996, ... tell about Portugal?
