Revolutionary Socialist Party (Portugal) Explained

Revolutionary Socialist Party
Native Name:Portuguese: Partido Socialista Revolucionário
Flag:Bandeira do PSR.png
Leader:Francisco Louçã
Dissolution: (as party)
(as association)
Merger:Internationalist Communist League
Workers Revolutionary Party
Successor:Left Bloc
Headquarters:Rua da Palma, 268
110-394 Lisbon
Newspaper:Combate Operário
Revista Combate
Ideology:Trotskyism
Socialist feminism
Position:Left-wing
International:Fourth International
Colours:Maroon
Colorcode:
  1. 780000
Country:Portugal

The Revolutionary Socialist Party (Portuguese: Partido Socialista Revolucionário, pronounced as /pt/, or PSR) was a left-wing party in Portugal, founded in 1978 after the merger of two Trotskyist parties: the Internationalist Communist League (LCI) and the Workers Revolutionary Party (PRT).[1] The LCI and PRT were both part of the reunified Fourth International. The International recognised the PSR as its Portuguese section.

In 1998 Party renamed itself in order to join with some other left-wing parties in founding the Left Bloc (Portuguese: Bloco de Esquerda or BE). The organisation retained the acronym (PSR) and became a civil society organisation under the name Revolutionary Socialist Political Association (Associação Política Socialista Revolucionária (APSR)). The original party, a member of the Fourth International, was however officially dissolved in 2008.[2]

The historical leader of the PSR is Francisco Louçã,[3] who would become leader of the Left Bloc.

The party had never achieved parliamentary representation before the merger in the Left Bloc, although it may be considered the 3rd or 4th biggest left-wing party in the country.

History

1970s

In 1979, the Party ran in a legislative election for the first time, achieving 0.6% of the voting.The next year, another legislative election took place and the Party achieved 1.0% of the votes.

1980s

In 1983, the Party ran in the legislative election in coalition with the People's Democratic Union (Portuguese: União Democrática Popular or UDP) in some constituencies, receiving 0.4% in those constituencies and 0.2% in the others.

In 1985, after some splits, the Party gained a new life, mainly due to its anti-militaristic and anti-racist campaigns and in that year's election, the PSR got 0.6% of the vote. In 1987, the Party contested the first European Election held in Portugal, achieving 0.5%, and in the legislative election, achieving 0.51%.[4]

Also in 1987, the Party started publishing of the Combate (Struggle) monthly newspaper.[5]

At the elections for the European Parliament of 1989, the PSR received 0.8%.

1990s

In the legislative election of 1991 got 1.12%, the best result in the Party's history,[6] ran for the last time in an election in 1995, achieving 0.6%.[7]

Merging into Left Bloc

In 1998, the party formed a permanent coalition with the People's Democratic Union, the Politics XXI and the Left Revolutionary Front, creating the Portuguese: [[Left Bloc (Portugal)|Bloco de Esquerda]] (Left Bloc).[8] In 2005, in the last congress in the party's history, it changed its status from a party to a political "association", which disappeared in 2013.[9]

Electoral results

Assembly of the Republic

ElectionLeaderVotes%Seats+/-Government
197936,9780.6 (#9)
198060,4961.0 (#8)0
1983with UDP0
198535,2380.6 (#8)0
1987Francisco Louçã32,9770.6 (#7)0
199164,1591.1 (#6)0
199537,6380.6 (#6)0

European Parliament

ElectionLeaderVotes%Seats+/-
198729,9090.5 (#9)
198931,7750.8 (#8)0
1994Helena Lopes da Silva17,7800.6 (#7)0

Notes and References

  1. Web site: de Mesquita . Henrique Pinto . 2022-02-02 . Os partidos que já se foram e não voltam mais . 2024-01-06 . Jornal SOL . pt-PT.
  2. Web site: Partido Socialista Revolucionário Comissão Nacional de Eleições . 2024-01-06 . www.cne.pt.
  3. Web site: Congresso do PSR . 2024-01-06 . pt-PT.
  4. Web site: 1987 parliamentary election results . diariodarepublica.
  5. Web site: Comunicado n.º 1: Combate / Partido Socialista Revolucionário (PSR) - AHS . 2024-01-06 . www.ahsocial.ics.ulisboa.pt.
  6. Web site: 2022-02-02 . Os partidos que já se foram e não voltam mais . 2024-01-06 . Jornal SOL . pt-PT.
  7. Web site: Portugal Political Data from PDYi Elections, governments and ministries . 2024-01-06 . politicaldatayearbook.com.
  8. Web site: Coalition: official document . CNE.
  9. Web site: Lusa . 2013-03-25 . PSR aprova extinção e adesão a nova corrente política do BE . 2024-01-06 . PÚBLICO . pt.