The Prime Minister: essay about the executive power in Portugal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31447/AS00032573.1990107.02Keywords:
role of the Prime Minister, decision-making in the Portuguese executive, constitutional governments, 1976-1983Abstract
This article intends to analyse the role of the Prime Minister and the way decision is made in the Portuguese executive. Those subjects have been examined from a variety of points of view: elaboration of the programs of government, recruitment of ministerial staff; political conditions for the performance of the governmental affairs; what kind of parties support is given to the executive; relations between the ministers and the media, relations with the university, the social and professional organizations; the way of decision making in ministries; the operation of the Conselho de Ministros; and, finally, the kind of administration, arbitrament and representation of the Prime Minister. The essay comprehends the first eight constitutional governments, that is, all the governments between 1976 and 1983. In general, it was concluded that the executive decisions were based upon limited or insufficient information, didn't have a systematic political coherence and weren't globally coordinated. It was concluded that the power of the Prime Minister to survey the ministers and what they were actually doing, was limited as well; and that his outward strength was hiding a real weakness. The odd and random feature of most of the executive decisions and the impotence of the Prime Minister to correct this situation are the main subject of the essay.