Socialist Party (Portugal)

The Socialist Party (Portuguese: Partido Socialista) is a political party of Portugal. It was founded on April 19, 1973 in the german city of Bad Munstereifel, by militants of the Portuguese Socialist Action (Portuguese: Acção Socialista Portuguesa).

The President of Portugal, Jorge Sampaio is a member of the party, but the current Prime Minister, Pedro Santana Lopes is the leader of a coalition government excluding it. The current leader of the party is still Ferro Rodrigues, although he resigned on July 9, 2004, in protest against the president's decision of not calling new elections following the departure of Durão Barroso for the presidency of the European Commission. The candidates for his succession at the October 2004 congress are José Sócrates, Manuel Alegre and João Soares.

It is a member of the Socialist International and the Party of European Socialists, and has 12 members in the European Parliament.

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