Parliamentary elections were held in Portugal on 29 January 1922.[1] The Democratic Party emerged as the largest in Parliament, winning 74 of the 163 seats in the House of Representatives and 37 of the 70 seats in the Senate.[2]
The elections were held less than a year after the July 1921 legislative elections, in which the Republican Liberal Party (PLR) had won a majority of votes. However, on 19 October 1921 ("the night of blood"), a military coup resulted in several republican figures being killed, including PLR prime minister António Granjo.[3] On the night of blood, President António José de Almeida invested Manuel Maria Coelho as Prime Minister, but his government resigned on 3 November.[4] On the same day, Carlos Maia Pinto became Prime Minister, but also resigned on 16 December.[5]Francisco Cunha Leal then served as Prime Minister until the elections.[6] The elections took place amidst instability and violence and were postponed four times before finally taking place on 29 January.[6]
The Democratic Party failed to win an absolute majority of seats and Afonso Costa chose not to form government.[6][7] Instead, António Maria da Silva of the Democratic Party became Prime Minister on 6 February,[7] leading a minority government with the support of the Reconstitution Party, the Catholic Centre Party, the Regionalist Party and some independents.[6] However, the government failed to serve a full term after being forced to resign following a motion of no confidence in November 1923.[8] Further instability resulted in seven different governments holding office in the subsequent period until the 1925 elections.[9]
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