After the
2015 legislative election had resulted in a
hung parliament, the leader of the
Portugal Ahead alliance (
PPD/PSD.
CDS–PP), then Prime Minister
Pedro Passos Coelho was given the task of forming a new government. However, as his
minority government failed to secure support by any other party, notably the Socialist, the Government Programme was
rejected by a vote of 123 to 107 deputies, leading to the government's disbandment within less than a month. In the meantime, Socialist Party secretary-general
António Costa had succeeded in securing support for a Socialist minority government by the
Left Bloc (BE), the
Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) and the
Ecologist Party "The Greens" (PEV), in a
confidence and supply agreement. Subsequently, he was appointed as the new Prime Minister on 24 November 2015. The cabinet members took their
oath of office on 26 November 2015. == Composition ==