Portugal's Democratic Paradox
Portugal faces the challenge of rebuilding faith in democratic institutions while delivering on citizens' rising expectations, fifty years after dictatorship.
Portugal occupies a unique position in Europe’s democratic landscape, having consolidated its democratic institutions and welfare state as the age of misinformation and populism began.
This historical conjunction has created a distinctive paradox: Portuguese citizens simultaneously rely on and question their state institutions.
producing what studies by independent and academic institutions reveal as a society caught between dependence and doubt.
- The Portuguese recognise their state’s role in providing universal services.
- Yet, they frequently question its capacity to deliver effective solutions.
Author's summary: Portugal faces a paradox of trust in democratic institutions.