Partido Unionista
The Unionist Party (in Portuguese : Partido Unionista (PUR)), official name Partido da União Republicana (Party of the Republican Union) or simply União Republicana (Republican Union), was a political party from the time of the first republic in Portugal . The party was founded on February 26, 1912. Its most important leader was Brito Camacho .
history
The PUR has its roots in the old Republican Party , which, founded in 1876, called for the abolition of the monarchy and the proclamation of a republic in Portugal. This goal was achieved with the revolution of October 5, 1910, after the monarchy had ceased to be a common enemy, and within the Portuguese Republican Party (PRP) , as the Republicans now called themselves, clashes quickly broke out between the individual political wings. The strongest group within the PRP were the left-wing liberals, who stood for radical, republican, strongly anti-clerical politics. When their leader Afonso Augusto da Costa managed to take over the leadership of the PRP, the evolutionists (PRE) under António José de Almeida split off first , and two days later, on February 26, 1912, the unionists under Brito Camacho split off from the PRP whose remaining left-wing liberal wing under da Costa was reconstituted as the Democratic Party (PD) .
Of the three parties into which the RRP had broken down - democrats, evolutionists, and unionists - the unionists were furthest to the right within the party spectrum. With the newspaper “ A Luta” (The Struggle), the party had its own press organ and, in Brito Camacho, a recognized leader beyond the party lines. During the first republic it was also referred to as the “party of the intellectuals” because it had a number of important scientists in its ranks. On the other hand, the unionists never succeeded in gaining great popular support or in elections.
The unionists initially supported Afonso da Costa's government, but soon withdrew their support. When it came to a grand coalition of democrats and evolutionists during the First World War (so-called government of sacred unity - governo da união sagrada ), the unionists were the fiercest opponents of this government, which is why part of the party that was given by Brito Camacho Course did not agree, left the party. They later supported the Sidónio Pais coup , but withdrew when they saw that Pais wanted to abolish the republic and establish a dictatorial regime.
The year 1919 finally brought the end of the unionists. The dictatorship of Sidónio Pais collapsed after his assassination on December 14, 1918. Brito Camacho became High Commissioner in Mozambique and was no longer available to his party. Even the historical leader of the evolutionists, António José de Almeida, was no longer available for his party, as he was elected president in 1919 . Evolutionists and unionists then united to form the Liberal Republican Party (PLR) under António Joaquim Granjo .