Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Portuguese parliament
)
Assembly of the Republic

Assembleia da República
Unicameral
Leadership
Vice-Presidents
Structure
Seats230
Current Structure of the Assembly of the Republic
Political groups
Government (80)

Opposition
(150)

Elections
Closed list proportional representation
D'Hondt method
Last election
10 March 2024
Next election
On or before 8 October 2028
Meeting place
Assembleia da República (Portugal) Palácio de São Bento, Lisboa.JPG
São Bento Palace, Lisbon, Portugal
Website
parlamento.pt

The Assembly of the Republic (Portuguese: Assembleia da República, pronounced [ɐsẽˈblɐjɐ ðɐ ʁɛˈpuβlikɐ]), commonly referred to as simply Parliament (Portuguese: Parlamento), is the unicameral parliament of Portugal. According to the Constitution of Portugal, the parliament "is the representative assembly of all Portuguese citizens". The constitution names the assembly as one of the country's organs of supreme authority.

It meets in a historical building in Lisbon, the Palácio de São Bento (Palace of Saint Benedict), the site of an old Benedictine monastery. The Palácio has been the seat of the Portuguese parliaments since 1834 (Cortes until 1910, Congress from 1911 to 1926 and National Assembly from 1933 to 1974).

Powers and duties of the Assembly

The Assembly of the Republic's powers derive from its ability to dismiss a

Council of State
.

The constitution requires the assembly to quickly review and approve an incoming government's program. Parliamentary rules allow the assembly to call for committees of inquiry to examine the government's actions. Political opposition represented in the assembly has the power to review the cabinet's actions, even though it is unlikely that the actions can be reversed. Party groups can also call for interpellations that require debates about specific government policies.

Structure

The assembly has 230

district of Portalegre
, which elects just two.

For the 2024 legislative elections, the MPs were distributed by districts as follows:[3]

District Number of MPs Map
Lisbon 48
Porto 40
Braga and Setúbal 19 each
Aveiro 16
Leiria 10
Coimbra, Faro and Santarém 9 each
Viseu 8
Madeira 6
Azores, Viana do Castelo and Vila Real 5 each
Castelo Branco 4
Beja, Bragança, Évora and Guarda 3 each
Portalegre, Europe and Outside Europe[a] 2 each

According to the constitution, members of the assembly represent the entire country, not the constituency from which they are elected. This directive has been reinforced in practice by the strong role of political parties in regard to members of the assembly. Party leadership, for example, determines in which areas candidates are to run for office, thus often weakening members' ties to their constituencies. Moreover, members of the assembly are expected to vote with their party and to work within parliamentary groups based on party membership. Party discipline is strong, and insubordinate members can be coerced through a variety of means. A further obstacle to members' independence is that their bills first have to be submitted to the parliamentary groups, and it is these groups' leaders who set the assembly's agenda.

The President of the Assembly of the Republic is the second hierarchical figure in the Portuguese state, after the President of the Portuguese Republic, and is elected by secret vote of the members of parliament. The President of the Assembly is aided by four vice presidents, nominated by the other parties represented in the parliament, and is usually the speaker.[original research?] When they are not present, one of the vice presidents takes the role of speaker. When the President of the Republic is, for any reason, unable to perform the job, the President of the Assembly of the Republic becomes the substitute.

Current composition

Plenary chamber.
Party Parliamentary group leader Seats %
Social Democratic Party Hugo Soares 78 33.5
Socialist Party TBA 78 33.5
CHEGA
TBA 50 21.7
Liberal Initiative
Mariana Leitão 8 3.5
Left Bloc Fabian Figueiredo 5 2.2
Portuguese Communist Party Paula Santos 4 1.7
LIVRE Isabel Mendes Lopes 4 1.7
CDS - People's Party
TBA 2 0.9
People-Animals-Nature
Inês Sousa Real 1 0.4
 Total 230 100.0

Latest election result

Summary of the 10 March 2024 Assembly of the Republic elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing
MPs
MPs %/
votes %
2022 2024 ± % ±
Democratic Alliance (PSD/CDS–PP/PPM)[b] 1,814,002 28.01 Decrease1.7 74 77 Increase3 33.48 Increase1.3 1.20
CDS–PP)[c]
52,989 0.82 Decrease0.1 3 3 Steady0 1.30 Steady0 1.59
People's Monarchist[d] 451 0.01 Steady0.0 0 0 Steady0 0.00 Steady0 0.00
Total Democratic Alliance[e] 1,867,442 28.84 Decrease1.8 77 80 Increase3 34.78 Increase1.3 1.21
Socialist 1,812,443 27.98 Decrease13.4 120 78 Decrease42 33.91 Decrease18.3 1.21
CHEGA 1,169,781 18.06 Increase10.9 12 50 Increase38 21.74 Increase16.5 1.20
Liberal Initiative
319,877 4.94 Steady0.0 8 8 Steady0 3.48 Steady0 0.70
Left Bloc 282,314 4.36 Steady0.0 5 5 Steady0 2.17 Steady0 0.50
Unitary Democratic Coalition 205,551 3.17 Decrease1.1 6 4 Decrease2 1.74 Decrease0.9 0.55
LIVRE 204,875 3.16 Increase1.9 1 4 Increase3 1.74 Increase1.3 0.55
People–Animals–Nature
126,125 1.95 Increase0.4 1 1 Steady0 0.43 Steady0 0.22
National Democratic Alternative 102,134 1.58 Increase1.4 0 0 Steady0 0.00 Steady0 0.00
React, Include, Recycle 26,092 0.40 Steady0.0 0 0 Steady0 0.00 Steady0 0.00
Together for the People 19,145 0.30 Increase0.1 0 0 Steady0 0.00 Steady0 0.00
New Right 16,456 0.25 0 0.00 0.00
Portuguese Workers' Communist
15,491 0.24 Steady0.0 0 0 Steady0 0.00 Steady0 0.00
Volt Portugal 11,854 0.18 Increase0.1 0 0 Steady0 0.00 Steady0 0.00
Rise Up 6,030 0.09 Steady0.0 0 0 Steady0 0.00 Steady0 0.00
Alternative 21 (Earth Party/Alliance) 4,265 0.07 Decrease0.1 0 0 Steady0 0.00 Steady0 0.00
Labour 2,435 0.04 Decrease0.1 0 0 Steady0 0.00 Steady0 0.00
We, the Citizens! 2,399 0.04 Decrease0.1 0 0 Steady0 0.00 Steady0 0.00
Socialist Alternative Movement[4] 0 0.00 Decrease0.1 0 0 Steady0 0.00 Steady0.0 0.0
Total valid 6,194,709 95.64 Decrease1.8 230 230 Steady0 100.00 Steady0
Blank ballots 89,847 1.39 Increase0.3
Invalid ballots 192,396 2.97 Increase1.5
Total 6,476,952 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 10,813,643 59.90 Increase8.5
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições[5]

Elected Composition of the Assembly of the Republic since 1975

Legislatures since 1975
Election No. Parliament Parties represented Term
Government Opposition
Constituent
1975
 
UDP (1)
  ADIM
(1)
1975–1976
1976 1st   PS (107)  
UDP
(1)
1976–1978
  PS (107)
  CDS (42)
 
UDP
(1)
1978
Presidential appointed governments  
UDP
(1)
1978–1979
1979   PPD/PSD (80)
  CDS (43)
  PPM (5)
 
UDP
(1)
1979–1980
1980 2nd   PPD/PSD (82)
  CDS (46)
  PPM (6)
 
UDP
(1)
1980–1983
1983 3th  
ASDI
(3)
  PCP (41)
  CDS (30)
  MDP (3)
1983–1985
1985 4th   PPD/PSD (88)
  PRD (45)[f]
  CDS (22)[f]
  PS (57)
  PCP (35)
  MDP (3)
1985–1987
1987 5th   PPD/PSD (148)   PS (60)
  PCP (29)
  PRD (7)
  CDS (4)
  PEV (2)
1987–1991
1991 6th   PPD/PSD (135)   PS (72)
  PCP (15)
  CDS (5)
  PEV (2)
  PSN (1)
1991–1995
1995 7th   PS (112)   PPD/PSD (88)
  CDS–PP (15)
  PCP (13)
  PEV (2)
1995–1999
1999 8th   PS (115)   PPD/PSD (81)
  CDS–PP (15)
  PCP (15)
  PEV (2)
  BE (2)
1999–2002
2002 9th   PPD/PSD (105)
  CDS–PP (14)
  PS (96)
  PCP (10)
  BE (3)
  PEV (2)
2002–2005
2005 10th   PS (121)   PPD/PSD (71)
  CDS–PP (12)
  PCP (12)
  BE (8)
  PEV (2)
  PPM (2)
  MPT (2)
2005–2009
2009 11th   PS (97)   PPD/PSD (81)
  CDS–PP (21)
  BE (16)
  PCP (13)
  PEV (2)
2009–2011
2011 12th   PPD/PSD (108)
  CDS–PP (24)
  PS (74)
  PCP (14)
  BE (8)
  PEV (2)
2011–2015
2015 13th   PPD/PSD (89)
  CDS–PP (18)
 
PAN
(1)
2015
  PS (86)
  BE (19)[f]
  PCP (15)[f]
  PEV (2)[f]
 
PAN
(1)
2015–2019
2019 14th   PS (108)  
IL (1)
  L
(1)
2019–2022
2022 15th   PS (120)  
PAN (1)
  L
(1)
2022–2024
2024 16th   PPD/PSD (78)
  CDS–PP (2)
 
PAN
(1)
2024–present

Evolution graphic

10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1975
1976
1979
1980
1983
1985
1987
1991
1995
1999
2002
2005
2009
2011
2015
2019
2022
2024
  •   CH
  •   ADIM
  •   PPM
  •   CDS-PP
  •   IL
  •   PSN
  •   MPT
  •   PPD/PSD
  •   ASDI
  •   PRD
  •   PAN
  •   PS
  •   UEDS
  •   L
  •   PCP
  •   PEV
  •   BE
  •   MDP
  •   UDP

Presidents of the Assembly of the Republic

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b All of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bermuda, Cyprus, Denmark (including the Faroe Islands and Greenland), France (including Overseas France), Georgia, Lebanon, Netherlands (including the Dutch Caribbean), Russia (including its Asian part), Spain (including the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla), Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey (including its Asian part), Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are included in the constituency of Europe, despite being partially or entirely outside geographic Europe. All of Kazakhstan, including its geographically European part, is included in the constituency of Outside Europe.[1][2]
  2. ^ In Azores, the PSD, the CDS–PP, and the People's Monarchist Party (PPM) contested the elections in a coalition called Democratic Alliance (Aliança Democrática).
  3. ^ In Madeira, the PSD and the CDS–PP contested the elections in a coalition called Madeira First (Madeira Primeiro).
  4. ^ PPM list only in Madeira
  5. Democratic and Social Centre and the People's Monarchist Party
    in the 2022 election.
  6. ^ a b c d e Confidence & supply gov't

References

  1. ^ Number of voters by district/island/continent, council/country, parish/consulate and consular post, Ministry of Internal Administration of Portugal, 31 December 2023 (in Portuguese).
  2. ^ Number of voters and consular posts by electoral constituency, for the election to the Council of Portuguese Communities of 26 November 2023, National Elections Commission of Portugal (in Portuguese).
  3. ^ "Official map no. 1-A/2024" (PDF) (in Portuguese). National Elections Commission of Portugal. 16 January 2024.
  4. ^ "MAS de Renata Cambra está impedido de concorrer às legislativas de 10 de março" Archived 14 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine, Visão, 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Comissão Nacional de Eleições Mapa Oficial n.º 2-A/2024" (PDF). Comissão Nacional de Eleições. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.

External links