XXI Constitutional Government of Portugal
The XXI Constitutional Government of Portugal (Portuguese: XXI Governo Constitucional de Portugal) is the 21st cabinet of the Portuguese government since the establishment of the current constitution. It was established on 26 November 2015 as a Socialist Party (PS) minority government led by Prime Minister António Costa.
XXI Constitutional Government of Portugal | |
---|---|
Cabinet of Portugal | |
António Costa in 2014 | |
Date formed | 26 November 2015 |
Date dissolved | 26 October 2019 (3 years and 11 months) |
People and organisations | |
President of the Portuguese Republic | Aníbal Cavaco Silva, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa |
Prime Minister | António Costa (PS) |
Prime Minister's history | Former Portuguese Government minister Former Mayor of Lisbon Appointed by President Aníbal Cavaco Silva on 24 November 2015 |
No. of ministers | 18 (17 ministers plus the Prime Minister) |
Status in legislature | Socialist Party (PS) minority government, supported (confidence and supply) by Left Bloc (BE), Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) and Ecologist Party "The Greens" (PEV) |
Opposition parties |
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History | |
Election(s) | Portuguese legislative election, 2015 |
Predecessor | XX Constitutional Government |
Successor | XXII Constitutional Government |
Background
After the 2015 legislative election had resulted in a hung parliament, the leader of the Portugal Ahead alliance (PPD/PSD.CDS–PP), then Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho was given the task of forming a new government. However, as his minority government failed to secure support by any other party, notably the Socialist, the Government Programme was rejected by a vote of 123 to 107 deputies, leading to the government's disbandment within less than a month.[1]
In the meantime, Socialist Party secretary-general António Costa had succeeded in securing support for a Socialist minority government by the Left Bloc (B.E.), the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) and the Ecologist Party "The Greens" (PEV), in a confidence and supply agreement. Subsequently, he was appointed as the new Prime Minister on 24 November 2015.[2] The cabinet members took their oath of office on 26 November 2015.
Composition
Minister | Incumbent | Party | Term | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Prime Minister | António Costa | Socialist Party | 26 November 2015 – present | |
Foreign Affairs | Augusto Santos Silva | Socialist Party | 26 November 2015 – present | |
Premiership and Administrative Modernization | Maria Manuel Leitão Marques | Socialist Party | 26 November 2015 – 18 February 2019 | |
Mariana Viera da Silva | Socialist Party | 18 February 2019 - present | ||
Finance | Mário Centeno | Independent | 26 November 2015 – present | |
National Defence | José Alberto Azeredo Lopes | Independent | 26 November 2015 – 12 October 2018 | |
João Gomes Cravinho | Independent | 15 October 2018 – present | ||
Internal Administration | Constança Urbano de Sousa | Independent | 26 November 2015 – 18 October 2017 | |
Eduardo Cabrita | Socialist Party | 21 October 2017 – present | ||
Justice | Francisca Van Dunem | Independent | 26 November 2015 – present | |
Deputy Minister
(position abolished) |
Eduardo Cabrita | Socialist Party | 26 November 2015 – 21 October 2017 | |
Pedro Siza Vieira | Socialist Party | 21 October 2017 – present | ||
Deputy Minister and Economy | Pedro Siza Vieira | Socialist Party | 15 October 2018 - present | |
Culture | João Soares | Socialist Party | 26 November 2015 – 8 April 2016 | |
Luís Filipe Castro Mendes | Independent | 14 April 2016 – 15 October 2018 | ||
Graça Fonseca | Socialist Party | 15 October 2018 – present | ||
Science, Technology and Higher Education | Manuel Heitor | Independent | 26 November 2015 – present | |
Education | Tiago Brandão Rodrigues | Independent | 26 November 2015 – present | |
Labour, Solidarity and Social Security | José António Vieira da Silva | Socialist Party | 26 November 2015 – present | |
Health | Adalberto Campos Fernandes | Independent | 26 November 2015 – 15 October 2018 | |
Marta Temido | Independent | 15 October 2018 – present | ||
Planning and Infrastructure
(position abolished) |
Pedro Marques | Socialist Party | 26 November 2015 – 18 February 2019 | |
Planning | Nelson de Souza | Socialist Party | 18 February 2019 - present | |
Infrastructure and Housing | Pedro Nuno Santos | Socialist Party | 18 February 2019 - present | |
Economy
(position abolished) |
Manuel Caldeira Cabral | Independent | 26 November 2015 – 15 October 2018 | |
Environment
(position abolished) |
João Pedro Matos Fernandes | Independent | 26 November 2015 – 15 October 2018 | |
Environment and Energy Transition | João Pedro Matos Fernandes | Independent | 15 October 2018 – present | |
Agriculture | Luís Capoulas Santos | Socialist Party | 26 November 2015 – present | |
Sea | Ana Paula Vitorino | Socialist Party | 26 November 2015 – present |
References
- Angelique Chrisafis (10 November 2015). "Portuguese MPs force minority government to quit over austerity". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- "Presidente da República indicou Secretário-Geral do PS para Primeiro-Ministro" (in Portuguese). Presidência da República. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.