Republican Union (Portugal)

The Republican Union (União Republicana in Portuguese) was a short-lived political party in Portugal during the First Republic (1910-1926). Formed in 1912 as a result of internal divisions within the dominant Portuguese Republican Party (Partido Republicano Português, also known as the Democratic Party), it represented a more conservative and moderate faction within the republican movement.

Key figures associated with the Republican Union included Brito Camacho. They generally advocated for a more pragmatic and less radical approach to governance than the Democrats, focusing on economic stability and social order. The party emerged from disagreements over issues such as religious policy, labor relations, and the overall pace of reform.

The Republican Union held some parliamentary seats and participated in various coalition governments during the turbulent years of the First Republic. However, it never achieved the dominant position held by the Democratic Party. It often served as a kingmaker in parliamentary alliances, shifting its support between different factions to influence policy.

The party's lifespan was relatively brief, and it gradually lost influence as the First Republic faced increasing political instability, economic hardship, and social unrest. By the mid-1920s, it had largely faded from the political scene, overtaken by the broader crises that ultimately led to the military coup of 1926 and the establishment of the Estado Novo dictatorship. Its main contribution was to exemplify the fractious nature of republican politics during the period and to represent a more moderate voice within the republican spectrum.