PORTUGAL

History

The area has been invaded by many cultures such as the Phoenicians, Romans, and Moors. A period of expansion and discovery began in the fourteenth century and ended in the sixteenth century. During the 1500's, Spain and France invaded Portugal and other countries attacked its colonies. Internal strife and the changed social conditions left the country in a precarious condition in the 1800's. The 1900's brought continued political conflict, military coups and dictatorial government.

Government

The country of Portugal is divided into 18 administrative districts but is directed by a strong centralized government. There is a president, a prime minister and a cabinet, unicameral legislature, and judicial system. A constitution was adopted in 1976, in part, calling for open elections. The legal system is based on local custom, and influenced by European law.

Economy

Portugal, in 1998, continued to see strong economic growth, falling interest rates, and low unemployment. The country qualified for the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and joined with ten other European countries in launching the Euro on 1 January 1999. Portugal’s inflation rate for 1998, 2.8%, was low but higher than most of its European partners. The country continues to run a trade deficit and a balance of payments deficit. The government is working to modernise capital plant and increase the country’s competitiveness in the increasingly integrated world markets. Growth is expected to slow because of a slowdown in public investment and sluggish demand for exports.

Police

The two national police organizations are the Public Security Police, with approximately 14,000 employees and the Republican Guard, with approximately 10,000 employees.

The Public Security Police are a paramilitary organization deployed throughout the country. Normal police functions include patrol, traffic enforcement, and criminal investigation. The police are organized according to military philosophy of command and control and are equipped to respond to major social and political unrest with military strategy and tactics. The police have their own recruitment and training procedures. The organization is responsible to the Ministry of Internal Administration.

The Republican Guard is a paramilitary organization for the rural areas and border communities. The service is equipped with military transport and can call upon the Army for assistance. The guard is also located in or near major metropolitan areas of the country as a mobile unit for maintaining public order and crowd control. As a separate police force, the Republican Guard has its own recruitment and training requirements.

The Police of Criminal Investigation, resorts under the Minister of Justice, it has its own and specific competence in the investigation of some crimes, all over the country. According to the crimes, there are specialized divisions.

The Policia Judiciaria has a staff of 1964 civil servants, but only 1021 with the status of 'police'. The others support the investigation in the administration. To be admitted as a Police officer, the candidates have to fulfill several requisites and to be submitted to a public exam. After that they attend a course in the school - 'instituto nacional de policia e ciencias criminais' - for approximately 9 months. After that, if they pass the tests, they begin to work in the several divisions with the older officers. After a year, if they fulfill the pre-requisites, they are admitted as effectives. After 7 years as 'agentes', they can, by internal request, and after attending a course in the school, be admitted to the next rank -'inspector' This rank can also be fulfilled by people with a degree in Law, after a public exam, tests and attending a course in the school. After this rank, the next one - 'inspector coordinator' is fulfilled by an 'inspector' with a law degree, after developing a specific work. The ranks of 'subdirector', 'director adjunto' and 'policia seguranca publica' together have the competence of the 'police nationale' as in France.

In Portugal, there still is the 'guarda nacional republicana' a uniformed police force resorting under the Ministry of Defence and Finances, a police force controlling the customs. It has no women.