A regional party, whose electorate was concentrated on the islands of São Miguel, it was created by former supporters of the New State.

The party had its origin in the Movimento para a Autodeterminação do Povo Açoriano (MAPA) (Self-determination Movement for the Azorean People) founded in 1979 by Francisco da Costa Matos.

While registered with the Supremo Tribunal de Justiça (Supreme Court) on 5 November 1979 as the União Democrática do Atlântico (Democratic Union of the Atlantic), it had changed its name to the PDA by the 1983 election.

It first presented a list of candidates for the national assembly elections on 20 February 2005, but only received 0.35% (1618 votes) for the Azores.

It supported Socialist Manuel Alegre when he ran as an independent in the Portuguese presidential election of 2006 and, again, in 2011.