Pedro Passos Coelho
Pedro Passos Coelho | |
|---|---|
| File:Ppc wikipedia.jpg | |
| Prime Minister of Portugal | |
| Assumed office 21 June 2011 | |
| President | Aníbal Cavaco Silva |
| Preceded by | José Sócrates |
| Member of Parliament | |
| Assumed office 20 June 2011 | |
| Constituency | Vila Real |
| In office 4 November 1991 – 23 October 1999 | |
| Constituency | Lisbon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 July 1964 Coimbra, Portugal |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Fátima Padinha (Divorced) Laura Ferreira |
| Children | Joana Catarina Júlia |
| Alma mater | University of Lisbon Lusíada University |
| Profession | Economist |
| Website | Official website |
Pedro Manuel Mamede Passos Coelho (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpeðɾu mɐnuˈɛɫ ˈpasuʃ kuˈeʎu]), (born in Coimbra, on July 24, 1964) is a Portuguese manager, politician, president of the Social Democratic Party and the current Prime Minister of Portugal.
Passos Coelho leads the XIX Governo Constitucional (19th Constitutional Government of Portugal), as Prime Minister of Portugal, since June 21, 2011.
Biography
Early years
Pedro Passos Coelho was born in the parish of Sé Nova in Coimbra, Portugal, in 24 July 1964. He is the younger son of a medical doctor, António Passos Coelho (born Vale de Nogueiras, Vila Real, Douro, 31 May 1926) and the woman he married in 1955, a nurse, Maria Rodrigues Santos Mamede (born Santana da Serra, Ourique, Baixo Alentejo c. 1930). He has an older sister, Maria Teresa Mamede Passos Coelho, a medical doctor,[1] and a older brother, Miguel Mamede Passos Coelho, who was born with cerebral palsy.[2][3]
He spent his childhood in Angola—one of Portugal's overseas possessions—where his father practised medicine. After the Carnation Revolution of 1974 and the independence of the territory as the People's Republic of Angola, he returned with his family to Europe and settled in Vila Real, Northern Portugal.
Education
Passos Coelho studied in basic schools of Luanda and Silva Porto, Angola, until the age of 10. His parents went to the Portuguese African territory of Angola to work there among the native rural populations who where plagued by diseases such as tuberculosis. Firstly, Pedro studied in a nun-run Catholic school, then in the public school, and again in another Catholic school run by the Maristas. Then, after the Carnation Revolution in 1974, and the dismantling of the Portuguese Overseas Empire in Africa, he returned to Europe, settling in the city of Vila Real, Norte Region, Portugal, in order to attend a secondary education institution, the Liceu Nacional Camilo Castelo-Branco (Camilo Castelo-Branco National High School).[4] His father only rejoined the familily in 1975, the year that Angola became an independent territory known as the People's Republic of Angola. With 19 years old, Passos Coelho went to Lisbon in order to study mathematics at the University of Lisbon. This course was his second option after medicine at the same university, however he did not reach by a fraction the extremely high marks needed to be admited in the Lisbon Medical School. Meanwhile he had taught mathemathics at the Escola Secundária de Vila Pouca de Aguiar high school for a year (1982/1983). In Lisbon, he made a living by working as a part-time private mathematics tutor, and continued to develop his political career as a promising figure of the PSD youth branch (JSD). He was elected vice-president of JSD in 1987, and president in 1991. However, Pedro did not graduate in mathematics by the University of Lisbon. He had his first child with 24 years old (1988), after his first marriage to Fátima Padinha, former member of girl band Doce. After dropping out the University of Lisbon he would enroll in 1999 at the Lusíada University from where he would be awarded a degree in economics in 2001, when he was 37 years old, and had already been member of the parliament between 1991-1999, among other attributions (he worked in a public relations capacity during the late 1980s in Qimibro, a metals broker and trading firm founded by José Manuel Bento dos Santos and Eduardo Catroga,[5] after invitation by a cousin who worked there).[6]
Political career
Starting very early in politics, he had a long career in the youth branch of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the JSD, where he was a member of the National Council (1980–1982) and Chairman of the Political Committee (1990–1995). He was a Lisbon deputy to the Assembly of the Republic in the VI and VII Legislatures (1991–1999); he also joined the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO (1991–1995) and was vice chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the PSD (1996–1999). In 1997, he ran for mayor of Amadora without success, but was elected municipal councillor (1997–2001). After has been member of the parliament from 1991 to 1999, Passos Coelho became eligible by law to a life pension, however, he declined the offer.
He was awarded a degree in economics by Lusíada University (Lisbon) when he was 37 (2001). He became a consultant with Tecnoformas (2000–2004), consultant of consultants LDN (2001–2004), Director of the Training Department and coordinator of the Program of Seminars URBE – Núcleos Urbanos de Pesquisa e Intervenção (2003–2004). He joined the Fomentinvest Group as a CFO (2004–2006) working with Ângelo Correia, Fomentinvest Group president and also a noted member of the PSD. He became a member of the Executive (in 2007), accumulating the functions of chairman of the Board of the HLCTejo (2007–2009).
He was vice-president of the PSD during the leadership of Luis Marques Mendes (2005–2006), and has also been president of the Municipal Assembly of Vila Real Municipality since 2005; he was a presidential candidate for the PSD in May, 2008, where he proposed for the first time a programmatic review of the party's orientation. Defeated by Manuela Ferreira Leite, he founded, with a group of his supporters, the think-tank Construir Ideias (Building Ideas). On 21 January 2010, his book Mudar ("To Change") was published, and he was again candidate for the leadership of the PSD for the direct elections in March 2010; he was elected president of the PSD on 26 March 2010.
By 2010, in a context of sovereign default, he tried to persuade the Socialist government under the leadership of José Sócrates to adopt austerity measures in order to maintain economic stability, but the government failed to do so, leading to a vote of no confidence that removed the government on 23 March 2011, and the general election of 5 June, 2011.
Personal life
Passos Coelho lives in Massamá, Greater Lisbon. He was married to Fátima Padinha, a former singer with the girl band Doce, by whom he has two daughters, Joana Padinha Passos Coelho (born 1988) and Catarina Padinha Passos Coelho (born 1993), and he is now married to Laura Ferreira, a physiotherapy technician, born in Bissau, Portuguese Guinea,[7] by whom he has one daughter, Júlia Ferreira Passos Coelho (born 2007). His older daughter, Joana Padinha Passos Coelho suffered a life threatening accident at young age, with sequels.[2]
Prime Minister of Portugal
On June 5, 2011, after the Portuguese legislative election, 2011, Passos Coelho was elected Prime Minister of Portugal.[8] He achieved a historical win for his political party, the PSD, defeating José Sócrates of the Socialists. Through a coalition with CDS-PP, Passos Coelho and the PSD was in position to form a right-wing majority in the Portuguese Parliament. Immediately after the election, he started conversations with Christian-Democratic President Paulo Portas to form the coalition.
Overview
Passos Coelho political program was considered the most neoliberal ever adopted by the PSD, and includes a firm intention to accomplish the European Union/IMF-led rescue plan for Portugal's sovereign debt crisis. The rescue plan includes reforms aimed at better efficiency and rationalized resource allocation in the public sector, in order to reduce the number of unnecessary civil servants and chronic public sector's overcapacity.[9] They also include the privatization of at least one channel of the public radio and television RTP network, the Caixa Geral de Depósitos' insurance operations, and some parts of the National Service of Health. His coalition partner Paulo Portas of CDS-PP, already expressed publicly his disapproval for some of Passos Coelho's proposals. Passos Coelho is a renowned social conservative, who opposes abortion, except for extreme cases, euthanasia and same-sex marriage, supporting civil unions instead. It is not certain if he will try to overrule the previous José Sócrates-led Socialist government laws that allowed abortion until 10 weeks and same-sex marriage in Portugal. During the campaign, he admited the reavaluation of the current abortion law, approved in 2007, after a referendum, that allowed it under any circumstance until 10 weeks of pregnancy. The referendum was deemed "unconstitutional" by 6 of the 13 members of the Portuguese Constitutional Court.
Passos Coelho government
Since June 21, 2011, Passos Coelho leads the the XIX Governo Constitucional (19th Constitutional Government).
Membership
| Ministry | Incumbent | Term |
|---|---|---|
| State and Finances | Vítor Gaspar | June 21, 2011 - |
| State and Foreign Affairs | Paulo Portas | June 21, 2011 - |
| National Defence | José Pedro Aguiar Branco | June 21, 2011 - |
| Home Affairs | Miguel Macedo | June 21, 2011 - |
| Justice | Paula Teixeira da Cruz | June 21, 2011 - |
| Parliamentary Affairs | Miguel Relvas | June 21, 2011 - |
| Economy, Labour, Public Works, Transportation and Communications | Álvaro Santos Pereira | June 21, 2011 - |
| Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Territorial Administration | Assunção Cristas | June 21, 2011 - |
| Health | Paulo Macedo | June 21, 2011 - |
| Education, Higher Education and Science | Nuno Crato | June 21, 2011 - |
| Social Solidarity and Social Security | Pedro Mota Soares | June 21, 2011 - |
Major policies
To be announced.
Electoral history
PSD leadership election, 31 May 2008
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
- Turnout: 58.95%
- (Source: Official results)
PSD leadership election, 26 March 2010
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
- Turnout: 66.26%
- (Source: Official results)
Assembly of the Republic Elections in Portugal, 2011
| Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | MPs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 2011 | ± | % | MPs %/votes % | |||||
| PSD | 2,145,452 | 38.63 |  9.5 |
78 | 105 | 27 |
45.65 | 13.4
| |
| PS | 1,557,864 | 28.05 |  8.5 |
96 | 73 | 23 |
31.74 | 10.4
| |
| CDS–PP | 652,194 | 11.74 | 1.3 |
21 | 24 | 3 |
10.43 | 1.3
| |
| CDU | 440,850 | 7.94 | 0.0 |
15 | 16 | 1 |
6.96 | 0.4
| |
| Left Bloc | 288,076 | 5.19 | 4.6 |
16 | 8 | 8 |
3.48 | 3.5
| |
| Communist Party of the Portuguese Workers / Reorganizative Movement of the Party of the Proletariat | 62,491 | 1.13 | 0.2 |
0 | 0 |  0 |
0.00 | 0.0
| |
| Party for Animals and Nature | 57,634 | 1.04 | — | — | 0 | — | 0.00 | — | |
| Earth | 22,494 | 0.41 | 0.3 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0.00 | 0.0
| |
| Hope for Portugal Movement | 21,748 | 0.39 | 0.1 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0.00 | 0.0
| |
| National Renovator | 17,620 | 0.32 | 0.1 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0.00 | 0.0
| |
| Labour Party | 16,722 | 0.30 | 0.2 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0.00 | 0.0
| |
| PPM | 14,978 | 0.27 | 0.0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0.00 | 0.0
| |
| New Democracy | 11,671 | 0.21 | 0.2 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0.00 | 0.0
| |
| Pro-Life Portugal | 8,210 | 0.15 | 0.0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0.00 | 0.0
| |
| Workers Party of Socialist Unity | 4,601 | 0.08 | 0.0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0.00 | 0.0
| |
| Democratic Party of the Atlantic | 4,531 | 0.08 | — | — | 0 | — | 0.00 | — | |
| Humanist | 3,528 | 0.06 | — | — | 0 | — | 0.00 | — | |
| Total valid | 5,330,664 | 95.98 | 0.9
|
230 | 226* | 0
|
100.00 | 0.0
| |
| Blank ballots | 148,058 | 2.67 | 0.9 |
||||||
| Invalid ballots | 75,280 | 1.36 | 0.0
| ||||||
| Total (turnout 58.90%) | 5,554,002 | 100.00 | 0.8
| ||||||
| *4 seats to represent Overseas Portuguese are not yet known. | |||||||||
| Source: STAPE Election results | |||||||||
References
- ^ Template:Pt icon Zita Seabra, Três razões para apoiar Pedro Passos Coelho, Jornal de Notícias (March 21, 2010)
- ^ a b Template:Pt icon Pedro Passos Coelho - Tragédia na Família, TV Guia (June 1, 2011)
- ^ Template:Pt icon Perfil: Passos Coelho, um "liberal" na política desde a adolescência, Diário de Notícias (June 15, 2011)
- ^ Template:Pt icon Pedro Passos Coelho. Um miúdo sério à solta no PSD, i online (April 3, 2010)
- ^ Template:Pt icon José Bento dos Santos, Grupo José de Mello
- ^ Template:Pt icon Biografia de Pedro Passos Coelho
- ^ Template:Pt icon Laura, mais do que a esposa de Pedro Passos Coelho, ASemana
- ^ Guardian: Pedro Passos Coelho set for big election win as Portugal swings right June 6, 2011
- ^ Template:Pt icon Administração Pública obrigada a emagrecer 1% ao ano, Destak.pt (June 21, 2011)
External links
Media related to Pedro Passos Coelho at Wikimedia Commons
- www.passoscoelho-mudar.com – Official web site of the book Mudar
- www.passoscoelho2010.com – Official web site of his candidacy for president of the PSD
- Complete Biography on PSD website retrieved June 7, 2011 (Portuguese)
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| Second Republic | ||
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- Use dmy dates from September 2010
- 1964 births
- Current national leaders
- Government ministers of Portugal
- Living people
- Members of the Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)
- Portuguese economists
- Portuguese politicians
- Portuguese Roman Catholics
- Prime Ministers of Portugal
- Social Democratic Party (Portugal) politicians