Political parties in Portugal

This list presents all the existing parties recognized by the Portuguese Constitutional Court.

• The Socialist Party (PS), a social democratic party, is a major party in Portugal, resembling the British Labour Party, the German SPD or the Spanish PSOE. The party was founded before the 1974 Revolution in Bad Münstereifel, West Germany, by (among others) Mário Soares, its historical leader and one of the main opponents of the dictatorial regime. Its leader, António Costa, is the current Prime Minister of Portugal and the current Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres is a former leader and Prime Minister.
• The Social Democratic Party (PPD/PSD), despite the name, is not a traditional social democratic party, being much closer to the centre-right. A major party, particularly strong in the interior North and Center regions, it is a big tent party and the equivalent of any other liberal conservative party in Europe such as the French Republicans or the German CDU. The PSD was founded right after the 1974 Revolution as Partido Popular Democrático (Democratic People's Party) by many personalities of the so-called "liberal wing" of the fascist regime, like Francisco Sá Carneiro (the PSD historical leader) and Francisco Pinto Balsemão. The current President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, is a former leader.
• The Left Bloc (BE), formed as a result of the merger of three left-wing parties (the Popular Democratic Union, the Revolutionary Socialist Party, and the Politics XXI), is an overwhelmingly urban party, adopting a wide range of left-wing policies and portrays itself as the modern, progressive alternative to the Portuguese Communist Party.
• The Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), founded in 1921 as the Portuguese Section of the Communist International, has its major influence among the working class and played a major role in the opposition to the Estado Novo regime, being brutally repressed in the process. After being one of the most influential parties in the years that followed the Carnation Revolution, it lost most of its power base after the fall of the Eastern Bloc, but still enjoys popularity in vast sectors of Portuguese society, particularly in the rural areas of Alentejo and Ribatejo and also in the heavily industrialized areas around Lisbon and Setúbal. It also has a major influence among the biggest Portuguese labour union – General Confederation of the Portuguese Workers (CGTP). Its historical leader was Álvaro Cunhal.
• The CDS – People's Party (CDS–PP) is a traditional Christian Democrat and conservative party, similar to the German CSU or the Spanish PP. Founded after the revolution, its historical leaders were Diogo Freitas do Amaral and Adelino Amaro da Costa. In 1976 it was the only party that voted against approval of a socialist constitution. Later, it was part of several governments in coalition with the PSD. The CDS congregates several right-wing tendencies ranging from christian democrats to neoliberals and more conservative elements.
• The People-Animals-Nature (PAN) is a party inspired by environmentalism and strongly focused on the rights of animals and animal welfare and which considers itself to be socially progressive, defending LGBT rights and women's rights.
• The Ecologist Party "The Greens" (PEV) is the first Portuguese green party, it is traditionally allied with the Communist Party in the Unitary Democratic Coalition.
• The ENOUGH (CH) is a Portuguese nationalist and right-wing populist party founded by PSD dissident André Ventura, similar to the French National Rally, the Spanish Vox or the Italian Lega Nord. Like them, it is a socially conservative party which also opposes immigration, multiculturalism and the European Union.
• The Liberal Initiative (IL) is a classically liberal and right-libertarian party.
• The FREE (L) is an eco-socialist, pro-European party.
• The Alliance (A) is a party formed by former Social Democratic leader and former Prime Minister Pedro Santana Lopes.
• The Portuguese Workers' Communist Party (PCTP/MRPP) is a Maoist and formerly pro-CCP party. It had a high-profile during the Carnation Revolution, mostly due to its influence among some groups of students, although it never reached 2% of the votes or elected a single MP.
• The React, Include, Recycle (RIR) is a humanist, pacifist and universalist party ("Rir" in Portuguese means "laughing").
• The Rise Up! (E) is a far-right nationalist party with little political expression.
• The Earth Party (MPT) is a centre-right green conservative party, founded in 1993 by a faction of the People's Monarchist Party.
• The We, the Citizens! (NC) is a minor centre-right party founded as a result of the anti-austerity movement.
• The National Democratic Alternative (ADN) was founded by the former leader of the Portuguese Bar Association, António Marinho e Pinto. He ran as the Earth Party candidate for the 2014 European elections but left the party soon after to form his own party. A populist party, defends a reform of the electoral system and reform of justice system.
• The United Party of Retirees and Pensioners (PURP) is a small party with the goal to defend the rights of retirees and pensioners, aiming to position itself as the political voice of the members of this age group. It was founded as a result of the anti-austerity movement.
• The Together for the People (JPP) was formed as an independent movement for the local elections of 2013 in the municipally of Santa Cruz in Madeira. Transformed into a political party in 2015 in order to contest the regional elections in Madeira.
• The People's Monarchist Party (PPM) is a small monarchist party with little political expression. It is known that the pretender heir to the Portuguese throne, Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, does not support this party, since the question of monarchical regime is considered to be above partisanship.
• The Portuguese Labour Party (PTP) is a minor party of the centre-left.
• The Socialist Alternative Movement (MAS) was formed in 2000 as a Portuguese Trotskyist political organization and it is the result of a merger between the Left Revolutionary Front (FER - Frente da Esquerda Revolucionária), and the young activists of the student movement Ruptura. The Ruptura/FER activists integrated the Left Bloc since its formation. In 2011, the movement split from the Left Bloc and formed a new party called Socialist Alternative Movement that was approved by the Constitutional Court in July 2013.
• The Volt Portugal (VP), portuguese chapter of Volt Europa, is a pro-European and European federalist political movement. The organisation follows a "pan-European approach" in many policy fields such as climate change, migration, economic inequality, international conflict, terrorism and the impact of the technological revolution on the labour market. It identifies itself as a pan-European, progressive, social-liberal and environmentalist political party.