Territory in the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic (1976-2005): from the founding precepts to the territorial policies of the future

Abstract

This paper analyses the relationship between territorial issues and the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic (CRP) from three standpoints: (i) how is territory considered in the original 1976 version of the CRP?; (ii) what lasting changes did the 2005 revision make?; and (iii) to what extent is the current CRP affecting the design and implementation of a new generation of territorial policies? A comparison of the 1976 and 2005 texts identifies nine main changes, including the growing “Europeanisation” of a number of key principles and concepts and the emergence of spatial planning as an autonomous public policy. Despite its shortcomings, the current version of the Constitution does not seem to be an obstacle to the formulation of a new generation of more efficient and democratic and fairer territorial policies. However, the current political-administrative organisation influences the participation of different public entities in the design and implementation of those policies.