Party without Movement? Movement-Party Relations in Post-Austerity Portugal under Contract Parlamentarism

After the 2015 general elections in Portugal, the radical left and the center-left formed an unprecedented parliamentary majority. This paradigmatic change reshaped the political landscape, requiring both parties and movements to adapt their strategies. While existing scholarship has examined the transition from opposition to government support, policy-making, and programmatic change, the role of social movements during this period remains less understood.

Unlike other Southern European countries, Portugal did not witness the rise of new successful challenger parties in 2015. Instead, radical left parties became pivotal in sustaining the minority center-left government until 2019. This paper asks two questions. First, how did the radical left influence the policy agenda of the Socialist government under conditions of contract parliamentarism and “austerity by stealth”? Second, how did the Left Bloc, in particular, interact with and incorporate contentious actors in this new opportunity structure?

By situating party–movement interactions within this distinctive configuration, the paper contributes to the literature on radical left parties, party–movement dynamics, and Southern European politics. It highlights how the shift from protest to parliamentary influence reshaped repertoires of contention and engagement, while also revealing the limits of movement influence under conditions of constrained policymaking.