Africa & Middle East

São Tomé and Príncipe

Political journey

A Portuguese colony that became independent in 1975, São Tomé and Príncipe was a one-party state until it turned to multiparty democracy in 1990, with coups attempted in 1995, 2003 and 2022. Cocoa and hopes of offshore oil have not lifted living standards, and disputes between presidents and prime ministers repeatedly bring political crises.

São Tomé and Príncipe today

Its current leader’s position on the ten Caucus dimensions.

💰EconomySlightly free market
State-ledFree market
⚖️Liberty and authoritySlightly authoritarian
LibertarianAuthoritarian
🎭CultureLeaning traditional
ProgressiveTraditional
🌍NationCentered on nation
GlobalistNationalist
🌱EnvironmentLeaning nature-first
Growth-firstNature-first
🤖TechnologyLeaning tech-optimist
Tech-cautiousTech-optimist
🕊️War and peaceCentered on war and peace
Peace-firstStrength-first
🏛️InstitutionsLeaning institutional
Anti-establishmentInstitutional
🙏ReligionLeaning religious
SecularReligious
🛡️InterventionismCentered on interventionism
Non-interventionistInterventionist

Who leads São Tomé and Príncipe today

Portrait of Carlos Vila Nova

Carlos Vila Nova

President of São Tomé and Príncipe, 2021 to present

An engineer and former minister who won the 2021 presidency and has repeatedly clashed with prime ministers, dismissing the government in 2022 and again in 2025.

Carlos Vila Nova sits in the right-authoritarian part of the Caucus economy and liberty compass: slightly free market and slightly authoritarian. The clearest positions are leaning institutional on institutions, leaning religious on religion and leaning traditional on culture. The profile is close to the middle on nation, war and peace and interventionism.

Full profile of Carlos Vila Nova →

Political views closest to São Tomé and Príncipe’s leadership

Christian democracyBlends Christian social teaching, a social market economy and European cooperation.99%OrdoliberalismFavors competitive markets protected by firm rules and a strong state, the basis of…98%Social market economyKeeps markets competitive but backs them with rules, social insurance and partnership…98%CommunitarianismStresses community bonds, shared values and civic duty over pure individualism.98%

Countries with similar leadership

Ranked by how close their current leaders are on the ten dimensions.

BahamasAmericas99%Antigua and BarbudaAmericas99%Saint LuciaAmericas99%CyprusEurope99%

Country histories are short summaries. Positions are simplified estimates of the leaders included in Caucus as of October 2026, and percentages show how close two profiles are across all ten dimensions.