campaign poster for the
2015 legislative election. campaign poster for the
2019 legislative election. campaign poster in 2014. This list presents all the existing parties recognized by the
Portuguese Constitutional Court. • The
Social Democratic Party (PPD/PSD), despite the name, is not a traditional
social democratic party, being much closer to the
centre-right. A
big tent party, it is the equivalent of any other
liberal conservative party in Europe such as the French
Republicans or the German
CDU. The PSD was founded right after the
1974 Revolution as
Partido Popular Democrático (Democratic People's Party) by many personalities of the so-called "liberal wing" of the fascist regime, like
Francisco Sá Carneiro (the PSD historical leader),
Francisco Pinto Balsemão, and
Joaquim Magalhães Mota. Its leader,
Luís Montenegro, is the current
Prime Minister of Portugal. • The
Socialist Party (PS), a
social democratic party, is a major party in Portugal, resembling the British
Labour Party, the German
SPD or the Spanish
PSOE. The party was founded before the
1974 Revolution by (among others)
Mário Soares, its historical leader and one of the main opponents of the dictatorial regime. The current
Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres is a former leader and Prime Minister and the current
President of Portugal,
António José Seguro, is a former leader. •
Chega (CH) is a Portuguese
national conservative,
right-wing populist party founded by PSD dissident
André Ventura, similar to the French
National Rally, or the Spanish
Vox. • The
Liberal Initiative (IL) is a
classical liberal and
right-libertarian party, which advocates for
capitalism and
social liberalism, similar to the German
FDP. •
LIVRE (L) is a
green political, ecosocialist, and pro-European party. • The
Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), founded in 1921 as the Portuguese Section of the
Communist International, has its major influence among the working class and played a major role in the opposition to the
Estado Novo regime, being brutally repressed in the process. After being one of the most influential parties in the
years that followed the
Carnation Revolution, it lost most of its power base after the fall of the
Eastern Bloc, but still enjoys popularity in some sectors of Portuguese society. It also has a major influence among the biggest Portuguese labour union –
General Confederation of the Portuguese Workers (CGTP). Its historical leader was
Álvaro Cunhal. • The '''
CDS – People's Party (CDS–PP)''' is a traditional
Christian Democrat and
conservative party, similar to the German
CSU or the Spanish
PP. Founded after the revolution, its historical leaders were
Diogo Freitas do Amaral and
Adelino Amaro da Costa. In 1976 it was the only party that voted against approval of a
socialist constitution. Later, it was part of several governments in coalition with the PSD. The CDS congregates several right-wing tendencies ranging from christian democrats to neoliberals and more conservative elements. • The
Left Bloc (BE), formed as a result of the merger of three left-wing parties (the
Popular Democratic Union, the
Revolutionary Socialist Party, and
Politics XXI), is an mostly urban party, adopting a wide range of left-wing policies and portrays itself as the modern, progressive alternative to the Portuguese Communist Party. •
People-Animals-Nature (PAN) is a party inspired by environmentalism and strongly focused on
the rights of animals and
animal welfare and which considers itself to be socially progressive, defending
LGBT rights and
women's rights. •
Together for the People (JPP) was formed as an independent movement for the local elections of 2013 in the municipally of
Santa Cruz in
Madeira. Transformed into a political party in 2015 in order to contest the regional elections in Madeira. • The
Ecologist Party "The Greens" (PEV) is the first Portuguese
green party, traditionally allied with the Communist Party in the
Unitary Democratic Coalition. • The
National Democratic Alternative (ADN) was founded by the former leader of the
Portuguese Bar Association,
António Marinho e Pinto. He ran as the Earth Party candidate for the 2014 European elections but left the party soon after to form PDR (later ADN). A populist party, after Marinho e Pinto left it eventually became
COVID-19 denialist and
anti-environmentalist, defending a reform of the electoral system and reform of justice system. •
React, Include, Recycle (RIR) is a
humanist,
pacifist and
universalist party ("Rir" in Portuguese means "laughing"). •
Volt Portugal (VP), portuguese chapter of
Volt Europa, is a
pro-European and
European federalist political movement. The organisation follows a "pan-European approach" in many policy fields such as climate change, migration, economic inequality, international conflict, terrorism and the impact of the technological revolution on the labour market. It identifies itself as a pan-European,
progressive,
social-liberal and
environmentalist political party. • The '''
Portuguese Workers' Communist Party (PCTP/MRPP)''' is a
Maoist party. It had a high-profile during the
Carnation Revolution, mostly due to its influence among some
groups of students, although it never reached 2% of the votes or elected a single MP. • The
New Right (ND) is a party created by
Ossanda Liber, a former candidate for mayor of
Lisbon and a former member of Alliance that created a
right-wing conservative party that is looking to occupy the place of CDS–PP in national politics after they left parliament following the
2022 legislative elections. • The
Social Liberal Party (PLS) is a liberal party founded by former
Liberal Initiative member and 2023 failed leadership candidate, José Cardoso. • The '''
People's Monarchist Party (PPM)''' is a small monarchist party with little political expression. It is known that the pretender heir to the
Portuguese throne,
Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, does not support this party, since the question of monarchical regime is considered to be above partisanship. PPM itself doesn't support Duarte Pio's claim, supporting the claim of the former Duque of Loulé's line instead. •
We, the Citizens! (NC) is a minor centre-right party founded as a result of the
anti-austerity movement. • The
Earth Party (MPT) is a centre-right
green conservative party, founded in 1993 by a faction of the People's Monarchist Party. • The
Portuguese Labour Party (PTP) is a minor party of the centre-left. • The
Socialist Alternative Movement (MAS) was formed in 2000 as a Portuguese Trotskyist political organization and it is the result of a merger between the Left Revolutionary Front (FER -
Frente da Esquerda Revolucionária), and the young activists of the student movement
Ruptura. The
Ruptura/FER activists integrated the Left Bloc since its formation. In 2011, the movement split from the Left Bloc and formed a new party called
Socialist Alternative Movement that was approved by the Constitutional Court in July 2013. • The
(A)TUA A)T is a small party with the goal to defend the rights of retirees and pensioners, aiming to position itself as the political voice of the members of this age group. Originally called
United Party of Retirees and Pensioners (PURP), the current name, (A)TUA, was approved in 2024, it was founded as a result of the
anti-austerity movement. ==Extinct parties since 1974==