Abstract

MIRANDA, Jorge. A originalidade e as principais características da Constituição portuguesa. Cuest. Const. [online]. 2007, n.16, pp.253-280. ISSN 1405-9193.

The 1976 Portuguese Constitution was created in the middle of a revolutionary and complex situation, but during 30 years it has be come the base of countries' democracy. Established in the civic and juridical conscience of citizens, besides successive revisions and constitutional precedents it could be affirmed we are in front of a normative constitution. This paper focuses among others characteristics of the constitution, on the extreme care for fundamental rights and the dichotomy bet ween rights, liberties, and guarantees and economical, socials and cultural rights, in addition to a participation in democracy, the recognition of electoral law, political parties law, the semi presidential government system, the local and regional de centralization and differents systems of constitutional control.

Keywords : Fundamental rights; non-centralized democracy; normative constitution.