|
|
|
PORTUGAL
|
|
|
|
The capital of Portugal is Lisbon, its area measures 92,142 square kilometres, the population is made up of 10,800,000 inhabitants, the gross domestic product is 132,6 billion Euros. The inflation is 2.4%, its unemployment rate is 6.3%, the deficit is –2.9% and its National debt is 60.8%. Portugal is a democratic republic. Its constitution, born from the so-called “carnations revolution”, that ended Salazar’s dictatorial regime, dates back to 1976. It defines Portugal as am unitary right-State, that recognize a legislative autonomy to the two island regions, Azores and Madeira. The Portuguese form of government is parliamentary with a presidential trend. The system includes parliamentary rules, as it provides for the direct Government of the Prime Minister, responsible towards the mono-cameral Parliament, the Assembly of Republic. The Assembly is elected every 4 years and it is made up of 230 members, elected by a proportional system. On the other hand, following a presidential trend, the President of Republic is elected by direct universal suffrage by all the Portuguese citizens; the mandate lasts for 5 years, unlike the mandate of the Parliament, and the Head of the State exerts important power upon the Government. He appoints the Prime Minister and the Government, besides being politically responsible towards the Parliament, is linked by a confidence relationship to the Parliamentary majority and it is responsible towards the President of Republic. The last political elections in Portugal took place on 20th February 2005 and the Socialist Party, with the 45% of the votes, achieved the absolute majority within the Parliament and Josè Socrates was appointed Prime Minister. Among the opposition parties we have to mention the Social-Democratics and the Populars that used to make up a centre-rightist Government coalition during the last during the last period of office of legislature and the “leftist block” together with the “United Democratic coalition” at the left of the Government. The President of Republic is Anibal Cavaco Silva, belonging to the Social-Democratic party. He has been elected in the last elections on 22nd January 2006, and his mandate is going to last for 5 years. Portugal joined the European Community in 1986, that is 10 years after it came back to democracy. After the enlargement to 10 new countries in 2004, the seats for Portugal within the Parliament decreased from 25 to 24. The elections for the European Parliament were held on 13th June 2004. The affluence to the polls was quite low, about 38% of the votes, less than the European average and the Portuguese tradition. The seats were awarded according to the proportional system. 12 out of 24 seats were awarded to the Socialist Party, whose deputies joined the European Socialist Party; 9 to the centre-rightist alliance:7 to the Portuguese Social-Democratics, 2 to the Populars and all the 9 deputies joined the European Popular Party. 2 deputies were awarded to the Red-Green alliance “United Democratic Coalition” and 1 to the extreme left. These latter deputies joined the “United left- Northern Green Left”. The present President of the European Commission is the Portuguese Josè Manuel Barroso, former Prime Minister in a centre-rightist government leaded by the Social-Democrati party.
|
|
