This paper examines the evolution of ministerial recruitment in Portugal over the past five decades, engaging with debates on the transformation of party government. It analyses the balance between partisan loyalty and policy expertise, exploring whether recent trends point to a weakening of traditional party-based selection mechanisms. Drawing on a longitudinal dataset of Portuguese cabinets, the study assesses how factors such as governance complexity, agency control and critical political junctures shape recruitment patterns. Particular attention is given to the increasing presence of non-partisan and technocratic ministers, especially in periods of crisis, and to the extent to which this reflects changing demands within the executive.