Prime Minister of Portugal

Prime Minister (Portuguese: Primeiro-Ministro; pronounced [pɾiˈmɐjɾu miˈniʃtɾu]) is the current title of the head of government of Portugal. As head of government, the Prime Minister coordinates the actions of ministers, represents the Government of Portugal to the other bodies of state, is accountable to Parliament and keeps the President informed. The Prime Minister can hold the role of head of government with the portfolio of one or more ministries.

Prime Minister of
the Portuguese Republic
Primeiro-Ministro
da República Portuguesa
Incumbent
António Costa
since 26 November 2015
StyleHis Excellency[1]
(formal, diplomatic)
Mr. Prime Minister
(informal)
TypeExecutive
Member ofCouncil of State
Council of Ministers
European Council
ResidenceSão Bento Mansion
SeatLisbon, Portugal
AppointerPresident of Portugal
Term lengthFour years (Parliament can be dissolved sooner);
No term limits.
Constituting instrumentConstitution of the
Third Republic
Inaugural holderPedro de Sousa Holstein, Marquess of Palmela
Formation24 September 1834 (1834-09-24)
Salary€70,023.52 (2015)
(€5,001.68/month)[2]
Websiteportugal.gov.pt
Portugal
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Portugal
Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Elections
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations

There is no limit to the number of terms a person can serve as Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President of the Republic following legislative elections, after having heard the parties represented in the Parliament. Usually, the person named is the leader of the largest party in the previous election, but there have been exceptions over the years.

History

Since the Middle Ages, some officers of the Portuguese Crown gained precedence over the others, serving as a kind of prime ministers. Over time, the role of principal officer of the Crown fell upon the chanceler-mor (chancellor), the mordomo-mor (mayor of the palace) and the escrivão da puridade (king's private secretary).

The first modern prime minister of Portugal was Pedro de Sousa Holstein, Marquess of Palmela, who was sworn in on 24 September 1834, as Presidente do Conselho de Ministros (President of the Council of Ministers). In 1911, the official title of the prime minister became Presidente do Ministério (President of the Ministry). In 1933, it became again Presidente do Conselho de Ministros.

The present title Primeiro-Ministro (Prime Minister), attributed to the head of the Government of Portugal, was officially established by the Constitution of 1976 after the revolution of 25 April 1974

Office Holders

The incumbent Prime Minister of Portugal is António Costa, who took office on 26 November 2015 as the 13th Prime Minister of the Third Portuguese Republic.[3] The official residence of the Prime Minister is a mansion next to São Bento Palace, which, in confusion, is also often called "São Bento Palace".

Portuguese Prime Ministers of the Third Portuguese Republic:

Graphical timeline (since 1974)

Prime Minister's Residence
Main article: São Bento Mansion
The São Bento Mansion.

Just behind the main building of the Assembly of the Republic, there is a mansion that serves as residence and office for the Prime Minister of Portugal. The mansion, dated from 1877, was built within the garden of the old monastery that held the Portuguese Parliament. It has been the Prime Minister's official residence since 1938, when Salazar moved in. Although it is the official residence of the Prime Minister, not all incumbents have lived in the mansion during their term in office.

António Costa, current Prime Minister, doesn't live in the residence.

List of Prime Ministers of Portugal

Term of office in years
Main article: List of Prime Ministers of Portugal by time in office

Living former Prime Ministers

As of February 2021, there are seven living former Prime Ministers of Portugal, as seen below.

The most recent Prime Minister to die was Diogo Freitas do Amaral (served 1980–1981), on 3 October 2019 aged 78.

See also

References
  1. United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service Public List: Heads of State – Heads of Government – Ministers For Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  2. Miguel Santos (23 September 2015). "E agora um tema sensível: os políticos são mal pagos?". Observador (in Portuguese). Lisbon. Retrieved 12 October 2016. O mesmo se aplica ao primeiro-ministro: este ano, Pedro Passos Coelho recebe um salário mensal de 5.001,68 euros brutos, menos 12% do que recebia em 2010, antes dos cortes.
  3. "Portugal Socialist Costa named PM in left-wing coalition". BBC News. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
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