Portugal’s Carnation Revolution Sparked a Global Wave of Democracy

Portugal recently marked the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution that ended the conservative, pro-U.S., anti-communist dictatorship and ushered in a center-left, democratically elected government.

During the Cold War, the Nixon administration initially saw the overthrow of the Portuguese authoritarian regime as potentially destabilizing. However, effective diplomacy by U.S. ambassador Frank Carlucci helped shape U.S. policy by recognizing the new democratic government and providing assistance.

The Carnation Revolution is considered the beginning of the “Third Wave” of global democracy expansion from the early 1970s to the early 2000s.

Under the leadership of António de Oliveira Salazar, Portugal experienced economic corporatism, political repression, and colonial wars in Africa. The country remained impoverished and isolated until the revolution.

The revolution symbolized Portugal’s transition to democracy and its integration into the European Union, moving away from colonialism and authoritarianism.

U.S. policymakers during the Cold War were concerned about potential communist influences in Portugal, similar to events in Chile, where a socialist government was overthrown in 1973.

Ambassador Frank Carlucci played a critical role in shaping U.S. policy towards Portugal, advocating for a new approach of supporting democratic transitions.

The impacts of the Carnation Revolution extended beyond Portugal, influencing democratic transitions in Spain, Latin America, Asia, and the post-Soviet Union.

The Carnation Revolution is recognized as the start of the “third wave of democracy.”

Daniel F. Runde is a senior vice president, William A. Schreyer Chair, and director of the Project on Prosperity and Development at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. He is also the author of The American Imperative: Reclaiming Global Leadership Through Soft Power (Bombardier Books, 2023).