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Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)
Unicameral legislature of Portugal
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Unicameral legislature of Portugal
| Field | Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| background_color | #009150 | ||
| name | Assembly of the Republic | ||
| native_name | pt-PT | ||
| legislature | 17th legislature | ||
| coa_pic | [[File:Coat of arms of the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic.svg | 125px]] [[File:Flag of the Portuguese Assembly of the Republic.svg | 125px]] |
| coa_caption | Emblem and Flag of the Assembly | ||
| logo_pic | [[File:AR Portugal logo.png | 230px]] | |
| logo_caption | Logo of the Assembly | ||
| house_type | Unicameral | ||
| term_limits | None | ||
| foundation | |||
| preceded_by | Constituent Assembly | ||
| new_session | 3 June 2025 | ||
| leader1_type | President | ||
| leader1 | José Pedro Aguiar-Branco | ||
| party1 | PPD/PSD | ||
| election1 | 27 March 2024 | ||
| leader2_type | Vice-Presidents | ||
| leader2 | {{ubl | ||
| seats | 230 | ||
| structure1 | File:Composition of the Assembly of the Republic in the XVII Legislature.svg | ||
| structure1_res | 260px | ||
| structure1_alt | Current Structure of the Assembly of the Republic | ||
| *{{color box | #f68b1b | border | silver}} PPD/PSD (89) |
| *{{color box | #0091dc | border | silver}} CDS–PP (2) |
| *{{color box | #222256 | border | silver}} CH (60) |
| *{{color box | #ff66ff | border | silver}} PS (58) |
| *{{color box | #01b0ef | border | silver}} IL (9) |
| *{{color box | #C2D216 | border | silver}} LIVRE (6) |
| *{{color box | #ed141f | border | silver}} PCP (3) |
| *{{color box | #ad0e0b | border | silver}} BE (1) |
| *{{color box | #006a71 | border | silver}} PAN (1) |
| *{{color box | #00A28B | border | silver}} JPP (1) |
| term_length | 4 years | ||
| voting_system1 | {{ubl | ||
| first_election1 | 25 April 1976 | ||
| last_election1 | 18 May 2025 | ||
| next_election1 | By 14 October 2029 | ||
| session_room | AR 1ª Sessão Plenária XVI Eleição PAR 001 PCC (53624564212).jpg | ||
| session_res | 240px | ||
| meeting_place | São Bento Palace, Lisbon, Portugal | ||
| website | |||
| constitution | Constitution of Portugal - Part 3 - Title 3 |
| Teresa Morais (PPD/PSD) | Diogo Pacheco de Amorim (CH) | Marcos Perestrello (PS) | Rodrigo Saraiva (IL) Government (91)
- PPD/PSD (89)
- CDS–PP (2) Opposition (139)
- CH (60)
- PS (58)
- IL (9)
- LIVRE (6)
- PCP (3)
- BE (1)
- PAN (1)
- JPP (1) | Closed list proportional representation | D'Hondt method
The Assembly of the Republic (, ), commonly referred to as simply Parliament (), 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 São Bento Palace, the historical site of an old Benedictine monastery. The palace 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 government through a vote of no confidence, to change the country's laws, and to amend the constitution (which requires a majority of two-thirds). In addition to these key powers, the constitution grants to the Assembly extensive legislative powers and substantial control over the budget, the right to authorize the government to raise taxes and grant loans, the power to ratify treaties and other kinds of international agreements, and the duty to approve or reject decisions by the President of the Republic to declare war and make peace. The assembly also appoints many members of important state institutions, such as ten of the thirteen members of the Constitutional Court and seven of the sixteen members of the 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 MPs. It originally consisted of 250 MPs, but the constitutional reforms of 1989 reduced its number to between 180 and 230. Members are elected by popular vote for legislative terms of four years from the country's twenty-two constituencies. There are eighteen in mainland Portugal corresponding to each district, one each for the autonomous regions of Azores (Portuguese: Açores) and Madeira, and two for Portuguese people living abroad (one covering European countries and one covering the rest of the world). Except for the constituencies for Portuguese living abroad, which are fixed at two representatives each, the number of MPs is determined by the number of voters registered in a constituency, using the D'Hondt method of proportional representation. Constituencies vary greatly in size; from as large as Lisbon, which elects 48 representatives, to as small as Portalegre, which elects just two.
For the 2025 legislative elections, the MPs were distributed by constituencies as follows:
| Constituency | Number of MPs | Map | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisbon | 48 | [[Image:Portuguese electoral districts 2024.svg | 240px]] |
| 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 | 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. 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
Current seat composition by party, and their respective parliamentary leaders, since the beginning of the current legislature:
| Party | Parliamentary group leader | Seats | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hugo Soares | 89 | 38.7 | |
| CHEGA | Pedro Pinto | 60 | |
| Eurico Brilhante Dias | 58 | 25.2 | |
| Liberal Initiative | Mário Amorim Lopes | 9 | |
| Isabel Mendes Lopes | 6 | 2.6 | |
| Paula Santos | 3 | 1.3 | |
| Paulo Núncio | 2 | 0.9 | |
| Fabian Figueiredo | 1 | 0.4 | |
| Inês Sousa Real | 1 | 0.4 | |
| Filipe Sousa | 1 | 0.4 | |
| Total | 230 | 100.0 |
Latest election result
Main article: 2025 Portuguese legislative election
Elected Composition of the Assembly of the Republic since 1975
| Election | No. | Parliament | Parties represented | Term | Government | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Constituent | ||||||
| 1975](1975-portuguese-constituent-assembly-election) | [[File:AR Eleicoes 1975.svg | 200px]] | PS (116) | |||
| PPD (81) | ||||||
| PCP (30) | ||||||
| CDS (16) | ||||||
| MDP (5) | ||||||
| UDP (1) | ||||||
| ADIM (1) | 1975–1976 | |||||
| 1976 | **1st** | [[File:AR Eleicoes 1976.svg | 200px]] | PS (107) | PPD (73) | |
| CDS (42) | ||||||
| PCP (40) | ||||||
| UDP (1) | 1976–1978 | |||||
| PS (107) | ||||||
| CDS (42) | PPD/PSD (73) | |||||
| PCP (40) | ||||||
| UDP (1) | 1978 | |||||
| Presidential appointed governments | PS (107) | |||||
| PPD/PSD (73) | ||||||
| CDS (42) | ||||||
| PCP (40) | ||||||
| UDP (1) | 1978–1979 | |||||
| 1979 | [[File:Portugal Parliament 1979.svg | 200px]] | PPD/PSD (80) | |||
| CDS (43) | ||||||
| PPM (5) | PS (74) | |||||
| PCP (44) | ||||||
| MDP (3) | ||||||
| UDP (1) | 1979–1980 | |||||
| 1980 | **2nd** | [[File:Portugal Parliament 1980.svg | 200px]] | PPD/PSD (82) | ||
| CDS (46) | ||||||
| PPM (6) | PS (66) | |||||
| PCP (39) | ||||||
| UEDS (4) | ||||||
| ASDI (4) | ||||||
| MDP (2) | ||||||
| UDP (1) | 1980–1983 | |||||
| 1983 | 3rd | [[File:AR Eleicoes 1983.svg | 200px]] | PS (94) | ||
| PPD/PSD (75) | ||||||
| UEDS (4) | ||||||
| ASDI (3) | PCP (41) | |||||
| CDS (30) | ||||||
| MDP (3) | 1983–1985 | |||||
| 1985 | 4th | [[File:AR Eleicoes 1985.svg | 200px]] | PPD/PSD (88) | ||
| PRD (45) | ||||||
| CDS (22) | PS (57) | |||||
| PCP (35) | ||||||
| MDP (3) | 1985–1987 | |||||
| 1987 | 5th | [[File:Portugal Parliament 1987.svg | 200px]] | PPD/PSD (148) | PS (60) | |
| PCP (29) | ||||||
| PRD (7) | ||||||
| CDS (4) | ||||||
| PEV (2) | 1987–1991 | |||||
| 1991 | 6th | [[File:Portugal Parliament 1991.svg | 200px]] | PPD/PSD (135) | PS (72) | |
| PCP (15) | ||||||
| CDS (5) | ||||||
| PEV (2) | ||||||
| PSN (1) | 1991–1995 | |||||
| 1995 | 7th | [[File:Portugal Parliament 1995.svg | 200px]] | PS (112) | PPD/PSD (88) | |
| CDS–PP (15) | ||||||
| PCP (13) | ||||||
| PEV (2) | 1995–1999 | |||||
| 1999 | 8th | [[File:Portugal Parliament 1999.svg | 200px]] | PS (115) | PPD/PSD (81) | |
| CDS–PP (15) | ||||||
| PCP (15) | ||||||
| PEV (2) | ||||||
| BE (2) | 1999–2002 | |||||
| 2002 | 9th | [[File:Portugal Parliament 2002.svg | 200px]] | PPD/PSD (105) | ||
| CDS–PP (14) | PS (96) | |||||
| PCP (10) | ||||||
| BE (3) | ||||||
| PEV (2) | 2002–2005 | |||||
| 2005 | 10th | [[File:Portugal Parliament 2005.svg | 200px]] | PS (121) | PPD/PSD (75) | |
| CDS–PP (12) | ||||||
| PCP (12) | ||||||
| BE (8) | ||||||
| PEV (2) | ||||||
| 2005–2009 | ||||||
| 2009 | 11th | [[File:AR Eleicoes 2009.svg | 200px]] | PS (97) | PPD/PSD (81) | |
| CDS–PP (21) | ||||||
| BE (16) | ||||||
| PCP (13) | ||||||
| PEV (2) | 2009–2011 | |||||
| 2011 | 12th | [[File:AR Eleicoes 2011.svg | 200px]] | PPD/PSD (108) | ||
| CDS–PP (24) | PS (74) | |||||
| PCP (14) | ||||||
| BE (8) | ||||||
| PEV (2) | 2011–2015 | |||||
| 2015 | 13th | [[File:AR Eleicoes 2015.svg | 200px]] | PPD/PSD (89) | ||
| CDS–PP (18) | PS (86) | |||||
| BE (19) | ||||||
| PCP (15) | ||||||
| PEV (2) | ||||||
| PAN (1) | 2015 | |||||
| PS (86) | ||||||
| BE (19) | ||||||
| PCP (15) | ||||||
| PEV (2) | PPD/PSD (89) | |||||
| CDS–PP (18) | ||||||
| PAN (1) | 2015–2019 | |||||
| 2019 | 14th | [[File:AR Eleicoes 2019.svg | 200px]] | PS (108) | PPD/PSD (79) | |
| BE (19) | ||||||
| PCP (10) | ||||||
| CDS–PP (5) | ||||||
| PAN (4) | ||||||
| PEV (2) | ||||||
| CH (1) | ||||||
| IL (1) | ||||||
| L (1) | 2019–2022 | |||||
| 2022 | 15th | [[File:Portugal Parliament 2022.svg | 200px]] | PS (120) | PPD/PSD (77) | |
| CH (12) | ||||||
| IL (8) | ||||||
| PCP (6) | ||||||
| BE (5) | ||||||
| PAN (1) | ||||||
| L (1) | 2022–2024 | |||||
| 2024 | 16th | [[File:Portugal AdR 2024 Partis.svg | 200px]] | PPD/PSD (78) | ||
| CDS–PP (2) | PS (78) | |||||
| CH (50) | ||||||
| IL (8) | ||||||
| BE (5) | ||||||
| PCP (4) | ||||||
| L (4) | ||||||
| PAN (1) | 2024–2025 | |||||
| 2025 | 17th | [[File:Portuguese parliament 2025.svg | 200px]] | PPD/PSD (89) | ||
| CDS–PP (2) | CH (60) | |||||
| PS (58) | ||||||
| IL (9) | ||||||
| L (6) | ||||||
| PCP (3) | ||||||
| BE (1) | ||||||
| PAN (1) | ||||||
| JPP (1) | 2025– |
Evolution graphic
Presidents of the Assembly of the Republic
Main article: List of Presidents of the Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)
Notes
| Confidence & supply gov't
| Compared with the 2024 Democratic Alliance (PSD/CDS/PPM)
| Only in Azores.
| Compared with the 2024 Alternative 21 coalition (MPT/Alliance).
References
References
- (24 March 2025). "Mapa Oficial n.º 1/2025". National Elections Commission of Portugal.
- (24 October 2015). "Novo na AR, o PAN defende o fim da disciplina de voto". Observador.
- (9 August 2023). "Primeira alteração ao Regimento da Assembleia da República - Secção I". Diário da República.
- "Composição dos Grupos Parlamentares/Partidos". [[Assembly of the Republic (Portugal).
- (31 May 2025). "Mapa Oficial n.º 2-A/2025, de 31 de maio". [[Diário da República]].
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