Democratic Alliance (Portugal, 1979)

Democratic Alliance Aliança Democrática
Abbreviation	AD
Founded	5 July 1979
Dissolved	1983
Ideology	Conservatism Christian democracy
Political position	Centre-right
International affiliation	List Iberian links to UCD ‘Mesa Iberoamericana de Partidos Democráticos’[a] 'Reunión Iberoamericana de Partidos de Centro Derecha'[b]
Colours	Blue,   Orange
Election symbol
Politics of Portugal Political parties Elections

AD - Democratic Alliance, mural painting

Vote AD - The Right Majority, mural painting

The Democratic Alliance (Portuguese: Aliança Democrática, AD) was a centre-right political alliance, in Portugal composed of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), CDS – People's Party (CDS–PP) and the People's Monarchist Party (PPM). It existed between 1979 and 1983, and was refounded for the 2024 legislative election. After its first official dissolution, the coalition was continued to operated in local elections after 1989 and presented lists across the country in every single local election after 2001.

In the first creation, the alliance was composed of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) and the People's Monarchist Party (PPM), including also a group of dissidents of the right wing of the Socialist Party (PS) who were disappointed by the previous Soares government, called The Reformers, including José Medeiros Ferreira (who would later rejoin the PS), António Barreto (who remained a more or less centre/rightwing aligned independent) and Francisco Sousa Tavares (who joined the Social Democratic Party afterwards). The coalition was first formed in 1979 in order to run to the December 1979 legislative election.

The alliance was led by Francisco Sá Carneiro and Freitas do Amaral, and won the 1979 and 1980 legislative elections, which led to Sá Carneiro becoming Prime Minister of Portugal, but lost the presidential election of 1980 to the independent candidate António Ramalho Eanes.

After the death of Sá Carneiro on 4 December 1980, the coalition was unable to find a leader with his charisma. Francisco Pinto Balsemão, the incoming PSD leader, became Prime Minister, but was unable to consolidate the support enjoyed by his predecessor. After its defeat in the 1982 local elections, it was disbanded in 1983.

The name was revived for a similar alliance between the PSD, CDS-PP, and PPM ahead of the 2024 legislative election.

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