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Social Democratic Party (Portugal)

Social Democratic Party
Partido Social Democrata
AbbreviationPPD/PSD[1]
PresidentLuís Montenegro
Secretary-GeneralHugo Soares
FounderFrancisco Sá Carneiro
Founded6 May 1974 (1974-05-06)
Legalized17 January 1975 (1975-01-17)[1]
HeadquartersRua de S. Caetano à Lapa, 9,
1249-087 Lisboa
NewspaperPovo Livre
Youth wingSocial Democratic Youth
Women's wingSocial Democratic Women
Workers wingSocial Democratic Workers
Membership (2024)Increase 90,422[2]
IdeologyLiberal conservatism
Pro-Europeanism
Political positionCentre-right
National affiliation
European affiliationEuropean People's Party
European Parliament groupEuropean People's Party Group
International affiliationCentrist Democrat International
Colours  Orange
Anthem
"Paz, Pão, Povo e Liberdade"[3]
"Peace, Bread, People and Freedom"
Assembly of the Republic
78 / 230
European
Parliament
6 / 21
Regional
parliaments
42 / 104
Local government
(Mayors)
114 / 308
Local government
(Parishes)
1,204 / 3,066
Election symbol
Party flag
Flag of the Social Democratic Party
Website
psd.pt

The Social Democratic Party (Portuguese: Partido Social Democrata, pronounced [pɐɾˈtiðu susiˈal dɨmuˈkɾatɐ]; PSD) is a liberal-conservative[4][5][6] political party in Portugal that is currently the country's ruling party. Commonly known by its colloquial initials PSD, on ballot papers its initials appear as its official form PPD/PSD, with the first three letters coming from the party's original name, the Democratic People's Party (Partido Popular Democrático, PPD). A party of the centre-right,[7][8][9] the PSD is one of the two major parties in Portuguese politics, its rival being the Socialist Party (PS) on the centre-left.

The PSD was founded in 1974, two weeks after the Carnation Revolution. In 1976, the party adopted its current name. In 1979, the PSD allied with centre-right parties to form the Democratic Alliance and won that year's election. One year later, the party's founder and then Prime Minister, Francisco Sá Carneiro died in a plane crash. After the 1983 general election, the party formed a grand coalition with the Socialist Party, known as the Central Bloc, before winning the 1985 general election under new leader Aníbal Cavaco Silva, who shifted the party to the right. Cavaco Silva served as Prime Minister for ten years, instituting major economic liberalisation and winning two landslide victories. After he stepped down, the PSD lost the 1995 election. The party was returned to power under José Manuel Durão Barroso in 2002, but was defeated in the 2005 election. The party was able to return to power after the 2011 elections and four years later was able to win a plurality in the 2015 legislative election, winning 107 seats in the Assembly of the Republic in alliance with the CDS – People's Party, but being unable to form a minority government and went back to the opposition. Nine years later, in 2024, the party returned to power as a minority government, under a rebranded Democratic Alliance coalition, alongside CDS–PP and the People's Monarchist Party (PPM). The party elected its current leader, Luís Montenegro, on 28 May 2022. Since the 2024 election, Montenegro has been the incumbent Prime Minister of Portugal.

Originally a social democratic party, the PSD became the main centre-right, conservative party in Portugal.[7] The PSD is a member of the European People's Party and the Centrist Democrat International. Until 1996, the PSD belonged to the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and Liberal International.[7] The party publishes the weekly Povo Livre (Free People) newspaper.

  1. ^ a b "Partidos registados e suas denominações, siglas e símbolos" Tribunal Constitucional (in Portuguese).
  2. ^ "Pagamento de quotas ao segundo". psd.pt. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Os hinos que se cantavam nas primeiras eleições".
  4. ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "Portugal". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  5. ^ Josep M. Colomer (2008). "Spain and Portugal: Rule by Party Leadership". In Josep M. Colomer (ed.). Comparative European Politics (3rd ed.). Routledge. p. 187. ISBN 978-1-134-07354-2.
  6. ^ Oppelland, Torsten (2007). "Das Parteiensystem der Europäischen Union". In Oskar Niedermayer; Richard Stöss; Melanie Haas (eds.). Die Parteiensysteme Westeuropas. Springer-Verlag. p. 373. ISBN 978-3-531-90061-2.
  7. ^ a b c Almeida, Dimitri (2012). The Impact of European Integration on Political Parties: Beyond the Permissive Consensus. Taylor & Francis. p. 99. ISBN 978-1-136-34039-0.
  8. ^ Freire, André (2007). "The Party System of Portugal". In Oskar Niedermayer; Richard Stöss; Melanie Haas (eds.). Die Parteiensysteme Westeuropas. Springer-Verlag. p. 373. ISBN 978-3-531-90061-2.
  9. ^ Lisi, Marco (2007). "The Importance of Winning Office: The PS and the Struggle for Power". In Anna Bosco; Leonardo Morlino (eds.). Party Change in Southern Europe. Routledge. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-136-76777-7.

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