Since 1974, when a military coup ended more than 40 years of fascist dictatorship, Portugal has experimented with Communism and socialism-and seen the sweet promises of revolution turn sour along with an ever more depressed economy. Last week "reformism," a freshly coined label on Lisbon's political scene, got its turn. The newly named government of Premier Carlos Alberto Mota Pinto defeated a Communist bid to deny it a vote of confidence, and thereby established itself as the fourth constitutional regime Portugal has had in three years.
The vote ended months of uncertainty over...