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XVIII Constitutional Government of Portugal | |
|---|---|
 Cabinet ofPortugal | |
.png) Prime MinisterJosé Socrates | |
| Date formed | 26 October 2009 (2009-10-26) |
| Date dissolved | 21 June 2011 (2011-06-21) (1 year, 7 months and 26 days) |
| People and organisations | |
| President of the Republic | Aníbal Cavaco Silva |
| Prime Minister | José Sócrates |
| No. of ministers | 16 ministers |
| Member party | Socialist Party (PS) |
| Status in legislature | Minority |
| Opposition parties |
|
| History | |
| Elections | 2009 Portuguese legislative election (27 September 2009) |
| Predecessor | XVII Constitutional Government of Portugal |
| Successor | XIX Constitutional Government of Portugal |
TheXVIII Constitutional Government of Portugal (Portuguese:XVIII Governo Constitucional de Portugal) was the 18th government of theThird Portuguese Republic, under thePortuguese Constitution of 1976. It was in office from 26 October 2009 to 21 June 2011, and was formed by the members of theSocialist Party (PS).José Sócrates, leader of the PS, served asPrime Minister.[1]
The government was composed of the Prime Minister and 16 ministries comprising ministers, secretaries and under-secretaries of state.
In 2008–09, with theGreat Recession starting to hit Portugal and facing recession and high unemployment,[2] austerity was waned as part of theEuropean economic stimulus plan.[3] Nevertheless, support for Sócrates and the Socialists eroded and the ruling party lost its majority in the2009 election.[2] The second government of José Sócrates faced a deterioration of the economic and financial state of the country, with skyrocketing deficit and growing debt.[2] Austerity was resumed in 2010 while the country entered ahard financial crisis in the context of theEuropean debt crisis.[4]
On 23 March 2011, Sócrates submitted his resignation to PresidentAníbal Cavaco Silva after the Parliament rejected a new austerity package (the fourth in a year), leading to the2011 snap election. Financial status of the country deteriorated and on 6 April Sócrates caretaker government requested a bail-out program which was conceded. The €78 billionIMF/European Union bailout to Portugal thus started and would last until May 2014. Sócrates lost the snap election held on 5 June 2011 and resigned as Secretary-General of theSocialist Party.[5] For most of his political career, Sócrates was associated to several corruption cases, notably Independente University and Freeport cases.[6]
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