The Co-Creation of Meaning and Value in an Anticipative Perspective: The Role of the President in a Semi-Presidential Regime (Portugal)

This contribution examines the role of the President in the co-creation of democratic meaning and public value from the perspective of Anticipative Democracy Studies, focusing on Portugal’s semi-presidential regime. In political systems characterized by accelerated change, and overlapping crises, presidential institutions operate not only as constitutional arbiters but also as anticipatory actors shaping collective interpretations of political futures. This contribution argues that the Portuguese President plays a distinctive anticipatory role through agenda-setting, symbolic communication, and the articulation of future-oriented narratives that influence democratic expectations and institutional behavior. While the presidency in Portugal holds limited direct executive power, it possesses significant informal and communicative authority, enabling it to frame risks, anticipate crises, and foster shared understandings of democratic values and priorities. Drawing on content analysis of presidential speeches this study explores how anticipatory discourse contributes to the co-creation of meaning, by defining what is at stake in democratic governance, and to the co-production of public value, by reinforcing trust, stability, and democratic continuity. The analysis also considers the constraints of this anticipatory role, including constitutional limits and media dynamics. The paper highlights a central tension in anticipative democracy: while presidential anticipation can enhance democratic resilience by facilitating collective sense-making and institutional coordination, it may also risk personalization or normative overreach if not embedded in transparent and pluralistic processes. By situating the Portuguese presidency within broader debates on anticipation and democratic governance, this study contributes to understanding how non-executive political institutions can shape democratic futures through the co-creation of meaning and value.