Francisco José Pereira Pinto Balsemão (; born 1 September 1937) is a Portuguese businessman, former journalist and retired politician, who served as

Prime Minister of Portugal The prime minister of Portugal ( pt, primeiro-ministro; ) is 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, ...

, from 1981 to 1983.

Background

He is the son of Henrique Patrício de Balsemão ( Guarda, Guarda, 9 September 1897 – ?) and wife (married Lisbon, 21 May 1922) Maria Adelaide van Zeller de Castro Pereira (

Sintra Sintra (, ) is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The population of the municipality in 2011 was 377,835, in an area of . Sintra is one of the most urbanized and densely populated ...

, 11 August 1897 – 02 March 1984).

Career

Being a licentiate in Law from the

University of Lisbon The University of Lisbon (ULisboa; pt, Universidade de Lisboa, ) is a public research university in Lisbon, and the largest university in Portugal. It was founded in 2013, from the merger of two previous public universities located in Lisbon, th ...

, Pinto Balsemão's pre-political career was in newspaper publishing. After working as a journalist and then as an administrator of ''

Diário Popular ''Diário Popular'' was a Portuguese language daily newspaper published in Lisbon, Portugal, between 1942 and 1990. History and profile ''Diário Popular'' was first published on 22 September 1942. Its headquarters was in Lisbon. The paper was ...

'' (the ''People's Daily'' in English) from 1963 to 1971, he founded the ''

Expresso Expresso may refer to: * Espresso, a coffee beverage * eXpresso, a hosted workspace for Microsoft Office communities * Expresso (Donkey Kong), a character in the ''Donkey Kong Country'' series * ''Expresso'' (newspaper), based in Lisbon, Portug ...

'' magazine in 1973 and continued to direct it until 1980. He is one of top managers and owners of

Impresa Impresa (full name: IMPRESA Sociedade Gestora de Participações Sociais SA) () is a Portuguese media conglomerate, headquartered in Paço de Arcos, in Oeiras municipality. It is the owner of SIC TV channel, and '' Expresso'' newspaper, among ...

media group. Pinto Balsemão was Member of parliament before the revolution (1969–1973), when, together with

Francisco de Sá Carneiro Francisco Manuel Lumbrales de Sá Carneiro, GCTE, GCC, GCL (; 19 July 19344 December 1980) was a Portuguese politician, Prime Minister of Portugal for most of 1980, and founder of the Social Democratic Party. He only held office of Prime Mi ...

Joaquim Magalhães Mota Joaquim Jorge de Magalhães Saraiva da Mota (November 17, 1935 in Santarém, São Salvador – September 26, 2007 in Lisbon) was a Portuguese lawyer and politician. Background He was a son of Elói do Nascimento Saraiva da Mota (July 2, 1907 ...

Carlos Mota Pinto Carlos Alberto da Mota Pinto, GCC, GCIP, (; Pombal, 25 July 1936 – Coimbra, 7 May 1985) was a Portuguese professor and politician. Career He graduated as a licentiate in law and doctorate in judicial sciences from the Faculty of Law o ...

João Bosco Mota Amaral João Bosco Soares da Mota Amaral (born 15 April 1943, in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Azores) is a Portuguese politician. He served as President of the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal from 2002 to 2005 and President of the Autonomous Regio ...

Alberto João Jardim Alberto João Cardoso Gonçalves Jardim, Order of Christ (Portugal), GCC, Order of Infante D. Henrique, GCIH (, born 4 February 1943) is a Portuguese politician who was the President of the Regional Government of Madeira, Portugal, from 1978 to 20 ...

António Barbosa de Melo António Moreira Barbosa de Melo, GColL (2 November 1932 – 7 September 2016) was a Portuguese lawyer, politician, and parliamentarian on several occasions. Career de Melo was born in Penafiel, Lagares in 1932. He graduated as a Licentiate a ...

and

António Marques Mendes António Joaquim Bastos Marques Mendes (30 March 1934 – 15 June 2015) was a Portuguese lawyer and politician. Background He was born in Porto, Paranhos, a son of Joaquim Marques Mendes (Fornos de Algodres, Figueiró da Granja, 3 March 1892 &nd ...

, he helped to found the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...

(PSD), of which he is currently member number 1. In 1975 he was elected to the

Constituent Assembly A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...

, which was charged with drafting a new

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...

and served as an interim legislature. Pinto Balsemão was chosen as a Vice-President of this body. Following the victory of the Democratic Alliance (a coalition led by the PSD) in two

parliamentary A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democracy, democratic government, governance of a sovereign state, state (or subordinate entity) where the Executive (government), executive derives its democratic legitimacy ...

elections (in 1979 and 1980), Pinto Balsemão held senior positions in two

cabinets A cabinet is a body of high-ranking state officials, typically consisting of the executive branch's top leaders. Members of a cabinet are usually called cabinet ministers or secretaries. The function of a cabinet varies: in some countrie ...

led by Prime Minister Sá Carneiro. When Sá Carneiro was killed in an air accident on 4 December 1980, the Social Democratic Party chose Pinto Balsemão to succeed him. Despite his reputation for competence, he was widely perceived as lacking Sá Carneiro's charisma. He had difficulty maintaining the level of support enjoyed by his party, which had been based to a large extent on Sá Carneiro's personal popularity. He also had to cope with friction within the Democratic Alliance, and found the Democratic and Social Centre leader,

Diogo Freitas do Amaral Diogo Pinto de Freitas do Amaral (; 21 July 1941 – 3 October 2019), known as Freitas do Amaral, was a Portuguese politician and law professor. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 10 January 1980 to 12 January 1981 and from 12 March 2005 t ...

, a difficult ally. These factors contributed to his defeat in the

parliamentary election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

of 1983. He finally retired from Parliament in 1987 though not from politics. Pinto Balsemão currently serves as Chairman of the

European Publishers Council European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...

and as chief executive officer of '' Grupo Impresa'' in Portugal. He was the founder on 6 October 1992 of

Sociedade Independente de Comunicação SIC (acronym of full name Sociedade Independente de Comunicação) ("Independent Communication Society") is a Portuguese television network and media company, which runs several television channels. Their flagship channel is the eponymous SIC, the ...

(SIC), the first Portuguese private television network. He is also a member of Steering Committee of the

Bilderberg Group The Bilderberg meeting (also known as the Bilderberg Group) is an annual off-the-record conference established in 1954 to foster dialogue between Europe and North America. The group's agenda, originally to prevent another world war, is now defin ...

, and as such has attracted some controversy. He participated in more than 30 Bilderberg-Conferences since 1981. He is also a Member of the

Portuguese Council of State The Council of State ( pt, Conselho de Estado, ) is a body established by the Portuguese Constitution to advise the President of the Republic in the exercise of many of his or her discretionary powers. History Although there are notices about the ...

, elected by the Assembly of the Republic and chosen by the current President of the Republic his fellow party colleague and former president of the

(PSD)

Aníbal Cavaco Silva Aníbal António Cavaco Silva, GCC, GColL, GColIH (; born 15 July 1939) is a Portuguese economist who served as the 19th president of Portugal, in office from 9 March 2006 to 9 March 2016. He had been previously prime minister of Portugal fro ...

Family

He married firstly and divorced Maria Isabel de Lacerda Pinto da Costa Lobo, daughter of Manuel da Costa Lobo Cardoso (

Vila Real Vila Real () is the capital and largest city of the Vila Real District, in the North region. It is also the seat of the Douro intermunicipal community and of the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro historical province. The Vila Real municipality covers ...

, 15 November 1907 – ?),

Director-General A director general or director-general (plural: ''directors general'', ''directors-general'', ''director generals'' or ''director-generals'' ) or general director is a senior executive officer, often the chief executive officer, within a government ...

of the Banco de Angola, and wife (married

Luanda Luanda () is the capital and largest city in Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Angola's administrative centre, its chief seaport ...

, 20 October 1934) Maria Amélia de Lacerda Rebelo Pinto ( Quissol,

Malanje Malanje is the capital city of Malanje Province in Angola, with a population of 455,000 (2014 census), and a municipality, with a population of 506,847 (2014 census). Projected to be the thirteenth fastest growing city on the African continent be ...

– ?), married secondly to José da Franca de Horta Machado Guedes Leitão Cruz (born

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

, 18 October 1947), without issue, and had two children: * Mónica da Costa Lobo Pinto Balsemão, married to Filipe Pereira Caldas Penaguião (born Luanda, 8 September 1963), son of António Manuel de Paula Morando Penaguião (born Lisbon, 20 June 1935), of Italian descent, and wife Maria João da Costa Pereira Caldas (born Lisbon, 17 June 1945), and had two children (Tomás Pinto Balsemão Penaguião and Marta Pinto Balsemão Penaguião). * Henrique da Costa Lobo Pinto Balsemão, Director of Programs of SIC, married on 29 April 2006 to Vera Cravinho, and had three children: ** Maria Cravinho Pinto Balsemão. ** Concha Cravinho Pinto Balsemão. ** Vicente Cravinho Pinto Balsemão (born 2010). He married secondly Maria Mercedes Aliu Presas, of Spanish descent, and had two children: * Joana Presas Pinto Balsemão (born Lisbon, São Sebastião da Pedreira, 25 June 1976), married to Francisco de Atouguia Belford Correia da Silva (born Lisbon, 31 October 1974), son of Pedro de Barros Belford Correia da Silva (born Luanda, 24 April 1946), of the

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

s (formerly

Viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

s) of

Paço de Arcos Paço de Arcos () is a locality of Oeiras. In 2013, the parish of Paço de Arcos merged into the new parish Oeiras e São Julião da Barra, Paço de Arcos e Caxias. The population in 2011 was 15,315, in an area of 3.39 km². It was elevate ...

, of remote English ancestry, and first wife (as her first husband) (married Lisbon, 6 October 1972 and divorced) Margarida Maria de Castro de Atouguia (born Lisbon, Santos-o-Velho, 30 October 1948 –), of the Viscounts of ''de'' Atouguia, and had three children (Francisco Pinto Balsemão Correia da Silva (born Oeiras, Paço de Arcos, 29 June 2001), Teresa Pinto Balsemão Correia da Silva (born Lisbon, 9 November 2004) and Pedro Pinto Balsemão Correia da Silva (born Lisbon, 24 August 2007)). She went to St Julian's School in Carcavelos. * Francisco Pedro Presas Pinto Balsemão, unmarried and without issue. Out of wedlock he had a son by Isabel Maria Supico Pinto (born Lisbon, 26 October 1942), second wife (married

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

, São Paulo, 9 June 1976) without issue of Vasco Maria Vasques da Cunha d' Eça da Costa e Almeida, 3rd Viscount of Maiorca (born Lisbon, Encarnação, 12 May 1923), natural daughter of Minister Clotário Luís Supico Ribeiro Pinto (1909–1986, 937th Associate of the Second Tauromachic Club, son of

Liberato Damião Ribeiro Pinto Liberato Damião Ribeiro Pinto ComTE, ComC, ComA, ComSE, ( Lisbon, 29 September 1880 – Lisbon, 4 August 1949) was a Portuguese Lieutenant Colonel of the Republican National Guard (''Guarda Nacional Republicana'', GNR), politician and ...

and Maria Augusta Supico), by actress Maria Adelaide da Silva Lalande ( Castelo Branco,

Salgueiro do Campo Salgueiro is a city in Pernambuco, Brazil. It is located in the mesoregion of ''Sertão Pernambucano'' . Salgueiro covers an area of 1687 square kilometers and had in 2020 an estimated population of 61,249 inhabitants. It is the see city of the R ...

, 7 November 1913 – Lisbon, 21 March 1968), wife of actor

Ribeirinho Ribeirinho, stage name of Francisco Carlos Lopes Ribeiro ( Lisbon, 21 September 1911 – Lisbon, 7 February 1984) was a Portuguese actor and director. He started his career in theatre in 1929, and kept the connection all his life, both as a ...

: * Francisco Maria Supico Pinto Balsemão, married Ana Duarte and had two daughters: ** Isabel Duarte Pinto Balsemão. ** Luísa Duarte Pinto Balsemão.

Honours

Grand Officer of the Order Merit,

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

(17 October 1983) * BEL_Kroonorde_Grootkruis_BAR

Grand-Cross of the Order of the Crown,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

(23 November 1981) * BRA - Order of the Southern Cross - Grand Cross BAR

Grand-Cross of the National Order of the Southern Cross,

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

(25 November 1981) * GRE_Order_of_Honour_Grand_Cross_BAR

Grand-Cross of the

Order of Merit The Order of Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by K ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

(8 September 1982) * Hu3ofl0

Grand-Cross

Order of the Flag of the Republic of Hungary The Order of the Flag of the People's Republic of Hungary ( hu, Magyar Népköztársaság Zászlórendje) was a State Order of the Hungarian People's Republic. It was founded by Decree No. 17 of 1956 and then was abolished in 1991. Classes The ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

(26 November 1982) * Cordone_di_gran_Croce_OMRI_BAR

Grand-Cross of the

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking ...

, Italy (2 December 1982) * Order_Pius_Ribbon_1kl

Grand-Cross of the

Order of Pope Pius IX , image = , caption = Knight's cross of the Order of Pius IX , awarded_by = , type = Papal order of knighthood , established = 1847 , motto = ''VIRTUTI ET MERITO''(Virtue and Merit) , day ...

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

(15 March 1983) * PRT_Order_of_Christ_-_Grand_Cross_BAR

Grand-Cross of the Order of Christ,

(8 June 1983) * Orden_jugoslovenske_zastave1(traka)

Grand-Cross of the

Order of the Yugoslav Flag Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

(8 June 1983) * ESP_Isabella_Catholic_Order_GC

Grand-Cross of the

Order of Isabella the Catholic The Order of Isabella the Catholic ( es, Orden de Isabel la Católica) is a Spanish civil order and honor granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to the homeland or the promotion of international relations a ...

, Spain (20 March 1989) * PRT_Order_of_Prince_Henry_-_Grand_Cross_BAR

Grand Cross of the

Order of Prince Henry The Order of Prince Henry ( pt, Ordem do Infante Dom Henrique) is a Portuguese order of knighthood created on 2 June 1960, to commemorate the quincentenary of the death of the Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator, one of the main initiators of ...

, Portugal (5 January 2006) * PRT_Order_of_Liberty_-_Grand_Cross_BAR

Grand Cross of the

Order of Liberty The Order of Liberty, or the Order of Freedom ( pt, Ordem da Liberdade), is a Portuguese honorific civil order that distinguishes relevant services to the cause of democracy and freedom, in the defense of the values of civilization and human di ...

, Portugal (25 April 2011)

References

External links

Francisco Pinto Balsemao in GeneAll.net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pinto Balsemao, Francisco 1937 births Living people Members of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group People from Lisbon Prime Ministers of Portugal Portuguese businesspeople Portuguese nobility Social Democratic Party (Portugal) politicians University of Lisbon alumni Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Pope Pius IX Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Belgium) Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Grand Crosses of the Order of Liberty Grand Crosses of the Order of Prince Henry Grand Crosses of the Order of Christ (Portugal) Portuguese editors Newspaper editors