ABSTRACT
The constitutional framework for the relationship between a popularly elected president and the government that is responsible before a directly elected parliament was set in 1976 and redefined in 1982. However, there is significant leeway in the way in which presidents interpret their function, namely because de facto powers are parallel to de jure ones. In fact, political custom also has its roots in the early years of constitutional rule in Portugal.
Portugal has had two presidents (Aníbal Cavaco Silva, 2006–2016 and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, 2016–), seven governments and three prime ministers between the onset of the 2008 global financial crisis and the present day. Both presidents came from the same political right-of-centre family, while two of the prime ministers came from the left-of-centre Partido Socialista (Socialist Party) and one from same political family as the presidents. Prime ministers governed using a variety of political solutions: single party majority, coalition government and single party minority rule based on confidence and supply arrangements. In a period spanning just 15 years, a vast array of situations was experienced in Portugal.
After discussing the basic constitutional and political settings that configure the role of presidents in the Portuguese political system, this chapter looks at the relationships between the presidents and their prime ministers, suggesting that the main feature of Portuguese presidents – that they exercise ‘moderating powers’ above the party political fray – was not sustained during the early part of this period, a situation that has been redressed by the election of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
