The fall of Portugal’s government has rewritten the country’s political rules

After the fall of Portugal’s government, led by Pedro Passos Coelho, several commentators have suggested the country could make a clean break from austerity under a new left-wing administration fronted by António Costa. Patrícia Calca writes that while the exact makeup of the new government remains to be seen, it is unlikely Portugal will pursue a radically different economic course. She argues that in light of the unprecedented nature of the events that led to the government’s fall, the key challenge will be to ensure that all political actors respect the constitution and put the interests of the country ahead of their party.