Manuel de Arriaga was the first President of the Republic, elected by the National Constituent Assembly on 24 August 1911. Due to growing rivalries and infighting among republicans, Manuel de Arriaga resigned from his post on 29 May 1915, four months before the end of his mandate.

Teófilo Braga was elected President of the Republic on 29 May 1915 to complete the mandate left by Manuel de Arriaga’s resignation. In addition to his political and teaching careers, he led an intensely busy life as a writer and poet, becoming one of the most prolific intellectuals of his time.

Bernardino Machado twice occupied the post of President of the Republic. However, he was never able to complete any of his terms. The first mandate was interrupted in 1917, following a coup led by Sidónio Pais. The second mandate lasted until the military coup of 28 May 1926.

Sidónio Pais led the military coup of 5 December 1917, which began a new political and constitutional period: the «New Republic», In April 1918, as the sole candidate, he was elected President of the Republic by direct suffrage (male). He remained as President until he was assassinated on 14 December 1918.

João de Canto e Castro was elected President of the Republic on 16 December 1918 after the assassination of Sidónie Pais to complete what remained of the latter’s mandate. A man with monarchist convictions, he agreed to take up the presidential post through force of circumstance and a sense of duty.

António José de Almeida took office as President on 5 October 1919. He was the only Head of State of the First Republic to complete the four-year mandate set out by the 1511 Constitution, in spite of a succession of grave political crises that took place during this period.

As President, his ambition was to create a government of reconciliation between various republican factions under the leadership of Afonso Costa. This did not come about, however, due to internal differences, public protests and military uprisings. He tendered his resignation before the Assembly and left the presidency in December 1923. Bernardino Machado took over as President for a second time, the only person to have two Presidencies in Portugal history.

Jose Mendes Cabeçadas took office as President of the Republic on 31 May 1926, three days after the military coup that put an and to the First Republic, Leader or the less radical faction of the rebellion, he remained in his post for only a few days, and was defeated on 17 June by a faction led by Manuel Gomes da Costa.

Manuel Gomes da Costa became President of the Republic after forcing José Mendes Cabeçadas to resign. In May of that year, he had led the most radical faction of the rebellion that put an end to the First Republic. However, it was a short lived experience, which ended on 10 July with his imprisonment and exile.

Oscar Carmona was Portugal’s longest serving President of the Republic, occupying the position continuously from 1926 to 1951. Formally elected in 1928, he saw his mandate renewed four times during the Estado Novo (New State) regime and died while in office.

With the death of his predecessor Óscar Carmona, Francisco Craveiro Lopes was chosen by the regime due to his discrete profile. Nevertheless, he was the only President in the history of the Estado Novo (New State) regime to complete only one mandate, as he lost Salazar’s political confidence.

Américo Tomás was the last President of the Republic in the Estado Novo (New State) regime. Winning the turbulent elections of 1958, which were marked by the agitation generated by Humberto Delgado’s campaign, he was continuously re-elected until the Carnation Revolution of 25 April 1974 put an end to his mandate.

António de Spinola was appointed President of the National Salvation Junta on the night of 25 April 1974 and took office as President of the Republic on 15 May. He was Portugal’s first Head of State in the democratic era, whose short and chequered mandate ended on 30 September 1974, with his resignation.

Francisco da Costa Gomes was the second President of the Republic in the period following the 25 April 1974 revolution. Appointed by the National Salvation Junta after António de Spínola‘s resignation, he occupied the position until the first direct, universal elections for president were held, on July 1976.

António Ramalho Eanes was the first President of the Republic to be elected by direct, universal suffrage on 27 June 1976. In a democracy still in its embryonic phase, he played a crucial role in consolidating the new regime. He completed two mandates, remaining in the post for 10 years.

Mário Soares was the first civilian to serve as President of the Republic after sixty years of military presidents. Elected in 1986 in the most disputed presidential elections in the history of Portugal’s democracy, he was re-elected to a second mandate in 1991, which was completed in March 1996.

Jorge Sampaio was elected President of the Republic on 14 January 1996. He ran with the support of the left wing parties against the former Prime Minister Anibal Cavaco Silva. Five years later, he was re-elected to a second mandate, which was completed in March 2006. A lot of the state gifts on display was from his presidency.

Call him Mr Patience, as he waited in the shadows of Jorge Sampaio for 10 years. Aníbal Cavaco Silva was elected President of the Republic on 22 January 2006. It was the first time in Portugal’s democracy that a Head of State had emerged from the centre-right. In 2011, he was re-elected for a second mandate.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa won the presidential election on 24 January 2016. After a first mandate of convergences and affections, he was reelected in 2021, when the state of emergency was declared in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His campaign slogan was “Each Portuguese Counts”.