Abstract: The evolution of the Portuguese Socialist Party (PSP) was deeply marked by the demise of the authoritarian regime in April 1974. After two years of intense political fighting against the left-wing (communist and others) political forces, the PSP emerged as the most voted party in the first constitutional elections. Therefore, the first constitutional government (1976) was led by Mario Soares and had as a major objective the modernization of the Portuguese society and the democratic consolidation. These two objectives were closely connected and only the full membership of Portugal to the European Communities could assure their fulfillment. However, the economic crises of 1978 and 1982 led to the foreign intervention of the WMF and an adjustment to the international austerity rules. Both interventions were made under socialist governments. Additionally, from 1985 until 1995, after the accession to the EEC was already concluded, Portugal was ruled by a government of the center-right party PPD, with an absolute majority of the Parliament’s seats after 1987. This period was paramount to the evolution of the Portuguese Socialist Party, in particular in adjusting itself to the neoliberal inclinations of the government. PPD’s closeness to the anglo-American leadership of Thatcher and Ronald Reagan/George H. W. Bush was also something that the PSP somehow opposed, although it never questioned the traditional Portuguese foreign policy alignment with the Atlantic powers. This paper will develop into two parts. In the first, I will make a brief description of the process of democratic consolidation in Portugal and the role the Socialist Party played in it, in order to analyze the important role it played in the process of democratic consolidation. Then, I will focus on the international activity of Mario Soares (and some of its closest men) as SI’s Vice-President and the impact that this may have had on its image in domestic affairs.

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Portugal,Partido Socialista,Democratização,Europa do Sul