# 16th Legislature of the Third Portuguese Republic

The 16th Legislature of the Third Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: XVI Legislatura da Terceira República Portuguesa) is the current meeting of the Assembly of the Republic. Its membership was determined by the results of the 2024 Portuguese legislative election held on 10 March.
On 11 March 2025, Luís Montenegro's government lost a vote of confidence and fell. On 13 March 2025, the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, announced the dissolution of the 16th Legislature and called for a snap election for 18 May 2025. The Assembly of the Republic will be officially dissolved on 20 March 2025.

## Election

The 17th Portuguese legislative election was held on 10 March 2024. The Democratic Alliance (AD) won, narrowly, the most votes and seats.
| Party | Party | Assembly of the Republic | Assembly of the Republic | Assembly of the Republic | Assembly of the Republic |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/− |
| | AD | 1,867,442 | 28.84 | 80 | +3 |
| | PS | 1,812,443 | 27.98 | 78 | –42 |
| | Chega | 1,169,781 | 18.06 | 50 | +38 |
| | IL | 319,877 | 4.94 | 8 | ±0 |
| | BE | 282,314 | 4.36 | 5 | ±0 |
| | CDU | 205,551 | 3.17 | 4 | –2 |
| | Livre | 204,875 | 3.16 | 4 | +3 |
| | PAN | 126,125 | 1.95 | 1 | ±0 |
| | Other/blank/invalid | 488,544 | 7.54 | 0 | ±0 |
| Total | Total | 6,476,952 | 100.00 | 230 | ±0 |

## Composition (2024–present)
### Current composition

| Party | Party | Parliamentary group leader | Elected | Elected | Current | Current |
| Party | Party | Parliamentary group leader | Seats | % | Seats | % |
| | PPD/PSD | Hugo Soares (Braga) | 78 | 33.9 | 78 | 33.9 |
| | PS | Alexandra Leitão (Santarém) | 78 | 33.9 | 78 | 33.9 |
| | Chega | Pedro Pinto (Faro) | 50 | 21.7 | 49 | 21.3 |
| | IL | Mariana Leitão (Lisbon) | 8 | 3.5 | 8 | 3.5 |
| | BE | Fabian Figueiredo (Lisbon) | 5 | 2.2 | 5 | 2.2 |
| | PCP | Paula Santos (Setúbal) | 4 | 1.7 | 4 | 1.7 |
| | Livre | Isabel Mendes Lopes (Lisbon) | 4 | 1.7 | 4 | 1.7 |
| | CDS–PP | Paulo Núncio (Lisbon) | 2 | 0.9 | 2 | 0.9 |
| | PAN | Inês Sousa Real (Lisbon) | 1 | 0.4 | 1 | 0.4 |
| | Independent | Miguel Arruda (Azores) | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0.4 |
| Total | Total | Total | 230 | 100.0 | 230 | 100.0 |

#### Changes

* Miguel Arruda, Chega (CH) → Non-attached: Left the party following an accusation, and a police investigation, that he allegedly stole several suitcases at Lisbon and Ponta Delgada airports.

## Election for President of the Assembly of the Republic

The election to pick a new President of the Assembly of the Republic was complicated. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) proposed José Pedro Aguiar-Branco as their candidate for President. To be elected, a candidate needs to reach a minimum of 116 votes. The first ballot occurred on 26 March 2024 and before the vote, there was the announcement that the Social Democratic Party reached an understanding with Chega regarding names. Chega leader André Ventura announced the "deal" to the media, but several Democratic Alliance members downplayed the announcement and said no deal was made, just an understanding. Despite this, the overwhelming point of view was that Aguiar-Branco would easily be elected, but on the first ballot, Chega members voted in blank and Aguiar-Branco failed to be elected:
Election of the President of the Assembly of the Republic :
| 1st Ballot → | 1st Ballot → | 26 March 2024 | 26 March 2024 |
| Required majority → | Required majority → | 116 out of 230 | 116 out of 230 |
| | José Pedro Aguiar-Branco (PPD/PSD) | 89 / 230 | N |
| | Blank ballots | 134 / 230 | 134 / 230 |
| | Invalid ballots | 7 / 230 | 7 / 230 |
| | Absentees | 0 / 230 | 0 / 230 |
| Sources: ||||
Following the first ballot, the PSD accused the Socialist Party (PS) and Chega of a "negative coalition" and announced the withdraw of Aguiar-Branco. The PS then announced they would present Francisco Assis as candidate, while Chega would present Manuela Tender. Shortly after, Aguiar-Branco retracted his earlier withdraw and was back on the ballot. On the two following ballots, the gridlock remained:
Election of the President of the Assembly of the Republic :
| 2nd Ballot → | 2nd Ballot → | 26 March 2024 | 26 March 2024 |
| Required majority → | Required majority → | 116 out of 230 | 116 out of 230 |
| | Francisco Assis (PS) | 90 / 230 | N |
| | José Pedro Aguiar-Branco (PPD/PSD) | 88 / 230 | N |
| | Manuela Tender (Chega) | 49 / 230 | N |
| | Blank ballots | 2 / 230 | 2 / 230 |
| | Invalid ballots | 0 / 230 | 0 / 230 |
| | Absentees | 1 / 230 | 1 / 230 |
| Sources: ||||
Election of the President of the Assembly of the Republic :
| 3rd Ballot → | 3rd Ballot → | 26 March 2024 | 26 March 2024 |
| Required majority → | Required majority → | 116 out of 230 | 116 out of 230 |
| | Francisco Assis (PS) | 90 / 230 | N |
| | José Pedro Aguiar-Branco (PPD/PSD) | 88 / 230 | N |
| | Blank ballots | 52 / 230 | 52 / 230 |
| | Invalid ballots | 0 / 230 | 0 / 230 |
| | Absentees | 0 / 230 | 0 / 230 |
| Sources: ||||
A fourth ballot was then scheduled for the following day, 27 March, to be held at noon, but late negotiations between PS and PSD delayed the vote for several hours. Following these negotiations, it was announced that both parties reached a deal in which the Presidency of the Assembly would rotate between the two parties, with the PSD holding the first two years, until 2026, and the PS the rest of the legislature until 2028 (which did not materialized, as the legislature was dissolved in March 2025). The PSD presented again Aguiar-Branco, while Chega presented Rui Paulo Sousa. Aguiar-Branco was easily elected:
Election of the President of the Assembly of the Republic :
| 4th Ballot → | 4th Ballot → | 27 March 2024 | 27 March 2024 |
| Required majority → | Required majority → | 116 out of 230 | 116 out of 230 |
| | José Pedro Aguiar-Branco (PPD/PSD) | 160 / 230 | Y |
| | Rui Paulo Sousa (Chega) | 50 / 230 | N |
| | Blank ballots | 18 / 230 | 18 / 230 |
| | Invalid ballots | 0 / 230 | 0 / 230 |
| | Absentees | 2 / 230 | 2 / 230 |
| Sources: ||||