Country Profile:

Upcoming Elections

  • Presidential
    January 2011
Portugal
  • Portugal
  • Portuguese Republic
  • Region: Europe

Description of government structure:

  • Chief of State: President Anibal CAVACO SILVA *
  • Head of Government: Prime Minister Jose SOCRATES **
  • Assembly: Portugal has a unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica) with 230 seats.

* The electoral system is two-round.

** Appointed by the President. Usually leader of the majority party or coalition in the legislature.

Description of electoral system:

  • The President is elected by absolute majority vote to serve a 5-year term.
  • Prime Minister is appointed to serve a 4-year term.
  • In the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica) 230 members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.***

*** There are 22 multi-member districts. Party lists are closed.

Population:

  • Population: 10,707,924 (July 2009 est.)

Future elections

  • Presidential - January 2011

Past elections

Last Updated on 02/04/2010