Government of Portugal

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Government of Portugal
Portuguese: Governo de Portugal
Símbolo do Governo de Portugal (Nome na parte inferior).png
Overview
Established24 September 1834; 186 years ago (1834-09-24)
StatePortuguese Republic
LeaderPrime Minister
Appointed byPresident of the Republic
Main organCouncil of Ministers
Ministries19
Responsible toAssembly of the Republic
HeadquartersOfficial Residence of the Prime Minister
Estrela, Lisbon
Websiteportugal.gov.pt
Politics of Portugal
Coat of arms of Portugal
Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Elections
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations
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The Government of Portugal is one of the four sovereignty bodies of the Portuguese Republic, together with the President of the Republic, the Assembly of the Republic and the courts. It is both the body of sovereignty that conducts the general politics of the country and the superior body of the Portuguese public administration.

The Government of Portugal is also referred to as the Government of the Portuguese Republic, the Portuguese Government or simply the Government.

The term "constitutional government" or simply "government" also refers to the team of ministers and its period of management under one Prime Minister. This concept is similar to an "administration" in the parlance of a presidential republic or to an "collective ministry" in the parlance of some Commonwealth countries. Each government in this sense is identified by a roman number, with the present one (formed in October 2019) being the XXII Constitutional Government of Portugal since the establishment of the current democratic regime, in 1976.

Composition[]

The Government comprises the Prime Minister, ministers and secretaries of state (junior ministers). Governments may also include one or more deputy prime ministers and deputy secretaries of state. Each minister usually heads a ministry and has assigned to him or her one or more secretaries of state, while certain governments may also assign one or more deputy ministers, as well.

Formation[]

After the elections for the Assembly of the Republic or the resignation of the previous government, the President listens to the parties in the Assembly of the Republic and invites someone to form a government.

The Prime Minister chooses the persons that he or she finds fit. Then the President swears in the Prime Minister and the Government.

Functions[]

The Government has political, legislative and administrative functions. These include, among other things, the power to negotiate with other countries or international organizations, to submit bills to the Assembly of the Republic, to issue decrees and to take administrative choices.

The government guides its actions by the governmental program and implements it in the State budget that is submitted to Assembly of the Republic each year, in the laws that it proposes, in the decrees that it issues in the Portuguese Council of Ministers, and in individual decisions made by its members.

There are no guarantees that the government will stick to its government program, but if it fails to do so, its actions will be judged by the citizens in forthcoming elections.

The Government may also be questioned by the other three sovereignty organs: the President of the Republic, the Assembly of the Republic and the courts. The President may veto governmental decrees and a government bill may fail to pass in the Assembly of the Republic, where a motion of no confidence may be approved.

The Council of Ministers[]

Main article: Council of Ministers (Portugal)

The Council of Ministers is a collegial executive body within the Government of Portugal. It is usually presided over by the Prime Minister, but the President of the Republic can preside over it at the Prime Minister's request. Besides the Prime Minister, the vice prime ministers and all ministers are members of the Council of Ministers. When the Prime Minister finds it fit, certain Secretaries of State can also attend its meetings, but without being able to vote.

List of governments (since 1976)[]

Constitutional Governments of Portugal
Number[1] Start[1] End[1] Prime Minister[1] Parties in Government Notes and main political events
I 1976-07-23 1978-01-23 Mário Soares PS 1976 election (34.9%), minority government, motion of no confidence
1978-01-23 1978-08-29 Mário Soares PS + CDS Coalition government, President António Ramalho Eanes dismisses the government
1978-08-29 1978-11-22 Alfredo Nobre da Costa Independent Nobre da Costa is appointed by President Ramalho Eanes to form government, government resigned
1978-11-22 1979-07-07 Carlos Mota Pinto PSD Mota Pinto is appointed by President Ramalho Eanes to form government, prime-minister resigns
1979-08-01 1980-01-03 Maria de Lurdes Pintasilgo Independent Lurdes Pintasilgo is appointed by President Ramalho Eanes to form a caretaker government
1980-01-03 1981-01-09 Francisco Sá Carneiro,
Diogo Freitas do Amaral (interim) 		AD (PSD + CDS + PPM) 1979 election (45.3%), 1980 election (47.6%), Sá Carneiro's death
1981-01-09 1981-09-04 Francisco Pinto Balsemão AD Pinto Balsemão is chosen by his party (PSD) to replace Sá Carneiro, prime-minister resigned
1981-09-04 1983-07-09 Francisco Pinto Balsemão AD Pinto Balsemão is chosen by his party to become prime-minister again, prime-minister resigned
1983-07-09 1985-11-06 Mário Soares PS + PSD 1983 election (36.1% + 27.2%), coalition government (Central Bloc)
1985-11-06 1987-08-17 Aníbal Cavaco Silva PSD 1985 election (29.9%), minority government, motion of no confidence
1987-08-17 1991-10-31 Aníbal Cavaco Silva PSD 1987 election (50.2%)
1991-10-31 1995-10-25 Aníbal Cavaco Silva PSD 1991 election (50.6%)
1995-10-28 1999-10-25 António Guterres PS 1995 election (43.8%), minority government
1999-10-25 2002-04-06 António Guterres PS 1999 election (44.1%), minority government, prime-minister resigned
2002-04-06 2004-07-17 Durão Barroso PSD + CDS 2002 election (40.2% + 8.7%), coalition government, prime-minister resigned
2004-07-17 2005-03-12 Santana Lopes PSD + CDS Santana Lopes replaced Durão Barroso after the latter's resignation; Parliament dissolved by the President of the Republic leading to a new general election
2005-03-12 2009-10-26 José Sócrates PS 2005 election (45.0%)
XVIII 2009-10-26 2011-06-20 José Sócrates PS 2009 election (36.6%), minority government, government resigned
XIX 2011-06-20 2015-10-30 Pedro Passos Coelho PSD + CDS 2011 election (38.7% + 11.7%), coalition government
XX 2015-10-30 2015-11-26 Pedro Passos Coelho PàF (PSD + CDS) 2015 election (38.6%), minority government, motion of no confidence
XXI 2015-11-26 2019-10-26 António Costa PS President Cavaco Silva appoints the 2015 elections second largest party leader, minority government
XXII 2019-10-26 present António Costa PS 2019 election (36.4%), minority government

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Governo de Portugal" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-07-25.

External links[]

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