The 1913 Portuguese legislative election was a parliamentary election held in Portugal during the First Portuguese Republic. It was the first legislative election conducted under the 1911 Constitution, which had established a republican regime following the overthrow of the monarchy in 1910.
Date
The election took place on 26 June 1913.
Electoral system
Members of the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house of the Cortes) were elected using a two‑round majority system in single‑member constituencies. Voters were required to be male citizens aged 21 or over; universal suffrage for women had not yet been introduced.
Main parties and leaders
- Democratic Party (Partido Democrático) – led by Afonso Costa.
- Evolutionist Party (Partido Evolucionista) – led by António José de Almeida.
- Republican Union (União Republicana) – led by Manuel de Brito Camacho.
Results
The Democratic Party emerged as the clear winner, obtaining an absolute majority of seats in the Chamber of Deputies. The exact distribution of seats was:
| Party | Seats won |
|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 106 |
| Evolutionist Party | 24 |
| Republican Union | 22 |
| Others/Independents | remaining seats |
These figures gave the Democratic Party a comfortable majority, allowing it to form a government without coalition support.
Aftermath
Following the election, Afonso Costa continued as Minister of Finance and became a dominant figure in the republican government. The Democratic Party’s control of the legislature facilitated the implementation of its reform agenda, including further secularization measures and attempts to stabilize the young republic. However, political instability persisted, with frequent changes of government and increasing polarization among republican factions, factors that eventually contributed to the 1926 military coup that ended the First Republic.
Historical significance
The 1913 election is notable for being the first regular parliamentary contest under the republican constitution, setting a precedent for electoral politics in Portugal until the authoritarian Estado Novo regime was established in 1933. It also highlighted the fragmentation of republican politics, with several parties competing for influence despite sharing a common republican ideology.
