Alliance (Portugal)

Alliance
Aliança
AbbreviationA
PresidentJorge Nuno de Sá
FounderPedro Santana Lopes
Founded23 October 2018
Dissolved4 March 2025 (2025-03-04)
Split fromSocial Democratic Party
HeadquartersAvenida da República, 49-2º,
1050-088 Lisboa
Ideology
Political positionCentre-right
Colours  Blue

Alliance (Portuguese: Aliança) was a political party in Portugal founded by former Prime Minister Pedro Santana Lopes,[1] following his departure from the PSD. It was dissolved in 2025.[2]

History

The idea of Pedro Santana Lopes, former Prime Minister of Portugal, founding a party (with the proposed name being Social Liberal Party, PSL, after his initials) had been floated around earlier in the late 1990's and in 2011, both times after he lost leadership elections.[3][4]

Following the 2018 Social Democratic Party (PSD) leadership election, after he was defeated by Rui Rio in a 54–46 margin, Santana Lopes left the PSD and announced his intention of founding a new party.[5] In August 2018, the new name of the party was announced, Alliance.[6]

The party's first congress was held in Évora, in February 2019, which confirmed Santana Lopes as the first leader of the party.[7]

In the May 2019 European Parliament election, Alliance won 1.9% of the votes, failing to elect the party's main candidate Paulo Sande,[8] a result which allowed for the party to elect MPs in the upcoming legislative elections. Despite that, and the fact that Alliance polled at 4% at some point,[9] the party failed to elect a single seat in the 2019 legislative election.

Santana Lopes left the party in January 2021, deeming his experience in the party as a failure.[10] He was replaced in the leadership by Paulo Bento, a former PSD City Councillor from Torres Vedras, after he won the leadership election with 110 votes over the 40 votes of his opponent António Pedro.[11]

In October 2021, Jorge Nuno de Sá, former leader of the Social Democratic Youth, was elected as President of the party.[12] He led the party into the 2022 and 2024 legislative elections, the last as part of the Alternative 21 coalition with the Earth Party.[13]

The party ended up being dissolved by the Constitutional Court in March 2025.[2]

Policy positions

Pedro Santana Lopes has stated that the party identifies itself with the liberal Renew Europe group in the EU Parliament.[14]

Leaders

Election results

Assembly of the Republic

Election Leader Votes % Seats +/- Government
2019 Pedro Santana Lopes 40,175 0.8 (#10)
0 / 230
 No seats
2022 Jorge Nuno de Sá 1,902 0.0 (#22)
0 / 230
 0 No seats
2024 Alternative 21
0 / 230
 0 No seats

European Parliament

Election Leader Votes % Seats +/-
2019 Paulo Sande 61,652 1.9 (#7)
0 / 21

Regional Assemblies

Region Last
Election 		Regional Assemblies Government Size
Votes % ±pp Seats won +/−
Azores 2020 422 0.4%
0 / 57
 10th No seats 2nd
Madeira 2019 766 0.5%
0 / 47
 No seats 11th

References

  1. ^ a b c "Novo partido de Pedro Santana Lopes vai chamar-se Aliança". SAPO 24 (in Portuguese). 18 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Sem contas, "sem sentido" e sem presidente registado: Constitucional declara extinção do partido Aliança fundado por Santana Lopes". Expresso (in Portuguese). 4 March 2025. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  3. ^ PÚBLICO (12 January 2018). "Henrique Chaves recorda que Santana quis fundar um partido nos anos 90". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  4. ^ Louro, Maria Lopes, Manuel (12 January 2018). "Pacheco Pereira diz que Santana quis criar partido em 2011 contra o PSD, mas este nega". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 February 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Observador. "Santana Lopes deixa o PSD e prepara novo partido". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  6. ^ "Partido de Santana Lopes já tem nome: "Aliança"". Expresso (in Portuguese). 18 August 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  7. ^ Gomes, Margarida (6 February 2019). "Aliança diz que "não há tempo" para discutir moções no congresso além da de Santana". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  8. ^ "Sande é assessor de Marcelo e será cabeça de lista de Santana Lopes às europeias". www.jornaldenegocios.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  9. ^ "Sondagem: Aliança com 4%, PSD em mínimos históricos e PS em queda". Expresso (in Portuguese). 11 January 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  10. ^ "Santana Lopes despede-se dos militantes da Aliança: "Foi um falhanço"". Expresso (in Portuguese). 26 January 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  11. ^ Lusa (27 September 2020). "Paulo Bento substitui Santana Lopes à frente da Aliança". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  12. ^ "Visão | Jorge Nuno de Sá, antigo líder da JSD, corre à presidência do Aliança". Visão (in European Portuguese). 14 October 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  13. ^ Portugal, Rádio e Televisão de (25 January 2024). "Aliança e MPT concorrem em coligação "Alternativa 21"". Aliança e MPT concorrem em coligação "Alternativa 21" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  14. ^ @EuropeElects (4 October 2019). "Portugal: Aliança's founder Pedro Santana Lopes tells @EuropeElects that the party identifies itself with the liberal Renew Europe group in the EU Parliament. It is unlikely but not impossible that they enter the national parliament for the first time in Sunday's election" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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