President (Portugal)
President of the Portuguese Republic | |
Coat of arms of Portugal | |
Standard of the President | |
Acting President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa since March 9, 2016 |
|
Official seat | Palácio Nacional de Belém |
Term of office | 5 years (direct re-election possible, then one last election after an interruption) |
Creation of office | October 5, 1910 |
Last choice | January 24, 2016 |
Salutation | his Excellency |
Deputy | Speaker of Parliament |
salary | 6756.00 € monthly |
website | www.presidencia.pt |
The President (Portuguese: Presidente da República Portuguesa [pɾɨzi'dẽtɨ dɐ ʁɛ'publikɐ purtu'ɡezɐ] ) has been the country's head of state since the republic was introduced in Portugal in 1910 . Any Minister of the State ex officio also Comandante Supremo Forças Armadas ( "Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces"). The President resides in the Palácio Nacional de Belém .
choice
With the introduction of the last constitution of 1976 after the Carnation Revolution , the president is elected by direct election by the Portuguese people for five years. Any adult citizen who has at least 7,500 and a maximum of 15,000 support signatures can be nominated as a candidate. The election takes place, similar to France, in a two-round system: If none of the candidates receives the required absolute majority in the first round, the two candidates with the most votes have to be run off two weeks later. However, it was only necessary to hold a runoff election in the 1986 presidential election. He can serve as head of state for a maximum of two terms in a row. So far, all presidents have held office for two terms each, which is partly due to the fact that the president is usually Portugal's most popular politician.
Task and functions
The President primarily performs representative tasks. However, he is also able to dissolve Parliament if he deems this necessary. With a view to the election results, he also nominates the Prime Minister , who in turn proposes his ministers to the President. The President also appoints officers general of the Portuguese army , ambassadors and prosecutors general and presidents of the courts, he can declare a state of emergency and, if the government suggests, declare war or make peace with another country . In addition, the President signs all decrees and laws passed by the Assembleia da República and represents the Portuguese Republic in matters of international treaties. In addition, the president can decide on amnesties and requests for clemency.
If the President dies prematurely or is otherwise unable to exercise the office, the President of Parliament takes over the duties of the President with restricted rights. The President of Parliament takes over the tasks until a new presidential election.
See also
Web links
- Portuguese Presidency website (Portuguese, English)
Individual evidence