Skip to main content
Menu Menu Close
Africa
Americas
Asia and the Pacific
Europe
Western Asia
Flag

Portugal

Monthly Event Reports

November 2023 | Prime Minister resigns amid corruption probe
Watch flag

On 7 November, Prime Minister António Costa resigned after he was implicated in a corruption probe, known as “Operation Influencer,” involving domestic lithium mining and green hydrogen production contracts. The Public Prosecution Service ordered raids of the Prime Minister’s official residence and the Environment and Infrastructure ministries. Days later, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa called snap elections to be held on 10 March 2024, and Costa will serve as caretaking Prime Minister until then. Costa has been Prime Minister since 2015, and his Socialist Party secured an absolute majority in snap elections in January 2022. Several other officials were indicted as part of the probe on charges of corruption and malfeasance, which the presiding judge has since narrowed down to influence peddling. These officials include Infrastructure Minister João Galamba, the head of the Portuguese environmental protection agency APA, and Costa’s chief of staff.

July 2023 | Parliament moves to protect victims of crimes against sexual freedom

Parliament passed amendments to the penal code and other access to justice legislation designed to improve protections for victims of “crimes against sexual freedom,” including rape and sexual coercion. The amendments, introduced by the ruling Socialist Party (PS) and developed under the parliamentary committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees, extend the right of complaint for victims of rape or sexual coercion to one year (previously six months), and strengthens the basis for the Public Prosecutor’s Office to initiate procedures for such crimes. Victims of crimes against sexual freedom are also exempted from providing proof of economic insufficiency to access legal aid, updating an existing provision in the law on Access to Law and Courts applicable to victims of domestic violence. The decree was submitted to President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa for promulgation on 26 July. 

Explore past monthly event reports

GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022

Chevron

Basic Information

Chevron
Population Tooltip
10 299 420
System of government
Semi-Presidential system
Head of government
Prime Minister António Costa (since 2015)
Head of government party
Socialist Party
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
36.1%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2022
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
4.01
Head of state
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
Selection process for head of state
Direct election (two-round majority)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
08/05/2019
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
94.29%
Population Tooltip
10 299 420
System of government
Semi-Presidential system
Head of government
Prime Minister António Costa (since 2015)
Head of government party
Socialist Party
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
36.1%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2022
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
4.01
Head of state
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
Selection process for head of state
Direct election (two-round majority)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
08/05/2019
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
94.29%
Tooltip text

Human Rights Treaties

Chevron
State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
No Action
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
State Party
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
Regional Treaties
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 4 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 6 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 7 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 12 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 13 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
in
Tooltip text

Performance by category over the last 6 months

Representation neutral Representation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rights
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rule of law
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Participation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024

Global State of Democracy Indices

Hover over the trend lines to see the exact data points across the years

Explore the indices
Representation
Representation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Annual value

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

Use the slider below to see how democratic performance has changed over time

0 10