ABSTRACT
At the dawn of the New Millennium, the new-born Partido Nacional Renovador (Renewal National Party – PNR) attempts once again the consolidation of a far right party in Portugal. The PNR emergence is the result of the confluence between former Salazarists and new far right militants coming from the skinhead movement. Since the beginning the attempt is jeopardized by the tensions between these two factions of the Portuguese nationalism in term of political culture, identity, and strategies. In matter of facts and despite the long leadership of José Pinto Coelho in charge since 2005, the almost two decade of existence of the PNR testifies to the high degree of internal conflict in terms of leadership and factions as well as the different strategies to take advantage of the rise of the extreme right in Europe. The evolution of the party in terms of ideology, political supply, and electoral performance provides elements also for understanding the weakness of the far right in Portugal in the context of the economic crisis in Southern Europe and its potentiality for the emergence of populist actors.
