Reformist Party
The Reformist Party ( Portuguese Partido Reformista ) is a Portuguese political party from the constitutional phase of the Portuguese monarchy . The party governed twice from 1868 to 1869 and 1870; the prime minister was the Margrave of Sá da Bandeira , the only significant leader of the party.
history
The party developed in 1867 as a split from the Historical Party . From 1865 to 1868 this ruled together with their actual opponents, the Regeneration Party , in a grand coalition. This grand coalition was led by Joaquim António de Aguiar from the Regeneration Party. Against the grand coalition there was soon resistance within the Historical Party, which was led by Sá da Bandeira, one of the great historical leaders of the Setembrists and the Historical Party. In 1867 the Margrave of Sá da Bandeira and his supporters finally left the Historical Party and founded the Reformist Party. With António José de Ávila , Sá da Bandeira also succeeded in attracting a prominent original cartist to his side.
After the government of the grand coalition was overthrown in 1868, Sá da Bandeira was again head of government. During this time he organized the Reformist Party as his political support group. In the elections of March 22, 1868, the Reformist Party won a majority (142 MPs) together with the supporters of de Ávila, while the supporters of the previous grand coalition suffered heavy losses (22 MPs). The party also won the elections of 1869, but then lost the majority of its MPs through resignations, which ultimately led to the Sá da Bandeira government losing its majority and being replaced by a government of the Historical Party led by the Duke of Loulé . The historical party won the elections of 1870 again, the reformists could only win 15 seats.
In 1870 the 80-year-old Duke of Saldanha staged an operetta-like coup against the government of the Duke of Loulé. Sá da Bandeira opposes Saldanha and can expel him from the government after three months. Sá da Bandeira and with it the Reformist Party comes to power again. During this second reign of the reformists, however, relations with the supporters of de Ávila deteriorated. Sá da Bandeira organizes new elections, which are won by de Ávila, who ran as an independent.
Finally, in 1876, Sá da Bandeira died and the history of the Reformist Party came to an end. The remnants of the party merge with the Historical Party, the new party that emerged from this union takes the name Progressive Party .