Democratic Party (Portugal)

The Democratic Party (Portuguese: Partido Democrático, pronounced: [pɐɾˈtiðu dɨmuˈkɾatiku]), officially known as the Portuguese Republican Party (Portuguese: Partido Republicano Português [pɐɾˈtiðu ʁɛpuβliˈkɐnu puɾtuˈɣeʃ]), was a Portuguese left-wing political party during the Portuguese First Republic. It was also the self-proclaimed successor to the original Portuguese Republican Party, which had been behind the revolution that established the Portuguese First Republic in 1910.

The name "Democratic Party" was never the official name of the party, as the Portuguese Republican Party never ceased to exist. However, the party was de facto different and thus the other parties (that belonged to the PRP before 1910) used the new expression to assert their opposition to the claim of continuation of the PRP by Afonso Costa, the first leader of the Democratic Party. Other names were given to the members of the Democratic Party, like the Afonsists, named after Afonso Costa.

When the Evolutionists and Unionists seceded from the Portuguese Republican Party in February 1912, the Democratic Party declared itself the latter party's heir. It soon controlled its electoral and propagandistic structure, a fact that would influence the dominance of the Democratic Party during the First Republic.

During the First Republic, the Democratic Party, led by Afonso Costa, managed to hold power despite suffering several revolutionary attempts, both monarchist and republican. Although some of the coups partially succeeded (Monarchy of the North, Pimenta de Castro, Sidónio Pais) the Democratic Party always managed to retain power.

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