Portugal

República Portuguesa

Note: In the Assembly of the Republic election held September 27, 2009, the Socialist Party (PS) won a leading 97 seats, but the loss of 24 seats from its 2005 total left it well short of a majority in the 230-seat legislature. The opposition Social Democratic Party won 78 seats; the Social Democratic Center-Popular Party, 21; the Left Bloc, 16; and the Unified Democratic Coalition, 15. Unable to attract support from the other parties, Prime Minister José Sócrates formed a minority PS government that was sworn in on October 26.

Political Status: Independent republic proclaimed on October 5, 1910; corporative constitution of March 19, 1933, suspended following military coup of April 25, 1974; present constitution promulgated on April 2, 1976, with effect from April ...