The 1911 Portuguese presidential election was the first presidential election held after the establishment of the Portuguese Republic in the 5 October 1910 revolution. The election took place on 24 August 1911 and was conducted indirectly: the President of the Republic was elected by members of the newly convened Constituent Assembly (the legislative body responsible for drafting the 1911 Constitution).
Background
- The monarchy was overthrown in 1910, leading to the proclamation of the Portuguese First Republic.
- A provisional government was installed, and a Constituent Assembly was elected later in 1911 to draft a republican constitution.
- The constitution stipulated that the President would be elected by the Assembly rather than by popular vote.
Election process and result
- Members of the Constituent Assembly cast votes to choose the President.
- Manuel de Arriaga, a moderate republican and former magistrate, was elected as the first President of the Portuguese Republic.
- He assumed office on 24 August 1911, succeeding the provisional head of state, Teófilo Braga.
Significance
- The election marked the formal transition from provisional governance to a constitutional republican system.
- It established the precedent of indirect presidential elections that would continue throughout much of the First Republic era (1910‑1926).
Subsequent developments
- Manuel de Arriaga’s presidency lasted until 1915, when political instability and factional disputes within the republican movement led to his resignation.
- The practice of indirect presidential elections persisted until the 1974 Carnation Revolution, after which Portugal adopted direct presidential elections under the 1976 Constitution.
