After the end of the dictatorship, the party became a major political force of the new democratic regime. One of its goals, according to the party is to maintain its "vanguard role in the service of the class interests of the workers". The party is popular in sectors of Portuguese society, particularly in rural areas of Alentejo and Ribatejo and industrialized areas such as Lisbon and Setúbal, where it leads several municipalities. The PCP is still relatively small compared to other parties, being the fourth largest in the Portuguese Assembly of the Republic, where it holds 10 of the 230 assembly seats.