Government of Portugal

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Portugal
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The Government is one of the four sovereignty organs of the Portuguese Republic. It is also the organ that conducts politics in general in the country and is also the superior body in public administration. It is called Constitutional because it is so defined in the Portuguese Constitution.

The government guides its actions by the governmental program and implements it in the government budget that is submitted to Assembly of the Republic each year, in the laws that it proposes, in the decrees that it issues in the Council of Ministers, and in individual decisions made by its members.

There are no guarantees that the government will stick to its government program, but if it fails to do so, its actions will be judged by the citizens in forthcoming elections.

The government may also be questioned by the other three sovereignty organs: the President, the Assembly of the Republic and the courts. The President may veto governmental decrees and a government bill may fail to pass in the Assembly of the Republic, where a motion of no confidence may be approved.

1 Functions
2 Formation
3 Composition
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Functions

The government has political, legislative and administrative functions. These include, among other things, the power to negotiate with other countries or international organizations, to submit bills to the Assembly of the Republic, to issue decrees and to take administrative decicions.

[edit] Formation

After the elections for the Assembly of the Republic or the resignation of the previous government, the President listens to the parties in the Assembly of the Republic and invites someone to form a government. The Prime Minister chooses the persons that he or she finds fit. Then the President swears in the Prime Minister and the Government.

[edit] Composition

The government is comprised of the Prime Minister, other ministers and the state secretaries (junior ministers). Each minister heads a ministry and has assigned to him or her one or more state secretaries.