Portugal's social constitution face to face with the European financial crisis

The paper that follows offers a brief account of the current threats that the systemic Eurozone crisis and austerity pose for the social state, social and labour rights protection in Portugal. As it is analysed, Portugal has developed after the Carnation Revolution (1974) an extremely strong in its social character Constitution (1976) that promotes as its equal subjects the individual, the citizen and the worker. This Constitution was based in a state and social blueprint characterised by the state intervention in the national economy, corporatism and the dynamic protection of social autonomy and solidarity. Nowadays this unique in character constitutional model is jeopardised in the background of the global and Eurozone financial crisis. In this frame, the paper that follows analyses the historical development of the Portugal social state, its unique characteristics, the current risks that faces and the effort of the Portuguese Corte Constitucional to protect the social rights core of the Portuguese Constitution.