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 (; ) 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, is accountable to Ass ...

, from 1981 to 1983.

Background

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

Sintra Sintra (, ), officially the Town of Sintra (), is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The population of the municipality in 2021 was 385,654, in an area of . Sintra is one of the ...

, 11 August 1897 – 2 March 1984), great-granddaughter of

Pedro IV of Portugal ''Don (honorific), Dom'' Pedro I (12 October 1798 – 24 September 1834), known in Brazil and in Portugal as "the Liberator" () or "the Soldier King" () in Portugal, was the founder and List of monarchs of Brazil, first ruler of the Empire of ...

Career

Being a licentiate in Law from the

University of Lisbon The University of Lisbon (ULisboa; ) is a public university, public research university in Lisbon, and Portugal's largest university. It was founded in 1911, but the university's present structure dates to the 2013 merger of the former Universit ...

, 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 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. It was one of two Portuguese newspa ...

'' (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 Sociedade Gestora de Participações Sociais SA () is a Portuguese Mass media, media Conglomerate (company), conglomerate, headquartered in Paço de Arcos, in Oeiras Municipality, Portugal, Oeiras municipality. It is the owner of SIC (P ...

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

Francisco Sá Carneiro Francisco Manuel Lumbrales de Sá Carneiro (; 19 July 19344 December 1980) was a Portuguese politician, who was one of the founders and the first leader of the Social Democratic Party (then known as the Popular Democratic Party). He served as ...

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, 190 ...

Carlos Mota Pinto Carlos Alberto da Mota Pinto (; 25 July 1936 – 7 May 1985) was a Portuguese professor and politician who served as the prime minister of Portugal between November 1978 and August 1979. Mota Pinto was one of the first members of the Soc ...

João Bosco Mota Amaral João Bosco Soares Mota Amaral (born 15 April 1943) 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 Regional Government of the Azores from 1976 to ...

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, Order of Liberty, GColL (2 November 1932 – 7 September 2016) was a Portuguese lawyer, politician, and Member of parliament, parliamentarian on several occasions. Career de Melo was born in Lagares (Penafiel), ...

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 &n ...

, 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 Form ...

(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, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...

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 In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

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

cabinets A cabinet in governing is a group of people with the constitutional or legal task to rule a country or state, or advise a head of state, usually from the executive branch. Their members are known as ministers and secretaries and they are ...

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) 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 to 3 July 2006. He also serv ...

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

parliamentary election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. General 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 and as chief executive officer of

media group 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, th ...

(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", "Bilderberg Conference" or "Bilderberg Club") is an annual off-the-record forum established in 1954 to foster dialogue between Europe and North America. The group's agenda, originally ...

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

Portuguese Council of State The Council of State (, ) 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 existence of a Counci ...

, elected by the Assembly of the Republic and chosen by the then

President of the Republic The President of the Republic is a title used for heads of state and/or heads of government in countries having republican form of government. Designation In most cases the president of a republic is elected, either: * by direct universal s ...

, his fellow party colleague and former president of the

(PSD),

Aníbal Cavaco Silva Aníbal António Cavaco Silva (; born 15 July 1939) is a Portuguese economist and politician who served as the 19th president of Portugal, from 9 March 2006 to 9 March 2016, and as prime minister of Portugal, from 6 November 1985 to 25 October ...

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 Norte, Portugal, North region, Portugal. It is also the seat of the Douro (intermunicipal community), Douro Intermunicipal communities of Portugal, intermunicipal comm ...

, 15 November 1907 – ?),

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

of the Banco de Angola, and wife (married

Luanda Luanda ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Angola, largest city of Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Ang ...

, 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 ...

– ?), 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. The status and any domain held by a viscount is a viscounty. In the case of French viscounts, the title is ...

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 elevated ...

, of remote English ancestry, and first wife (as her first husband) Margarida Maria de Castro de Atouguia (born Lisbon, Santos-o-Velho, 30 October 1948), of the Viscounts of 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 without issue of Vasco Maria Vasques da Cunha d'Eça da Costa e Almeida, 3rd Viscount of Maiorca (Lisbon, Encarnação, 12 May 1923 – 16 January 2018), natural daughter of Minister Clotário Luís Supico Pinto (1909–1990, 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 ...

, 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 ...

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

Honours

National

Grand Cross of the Order of Christ (GCC, 8 June 1983) * PRT_Order_of_Prince_Henry_-_Grand_Cross_BAR

Grand Cross of the

Order of Prince Henry The Order of Prince Henry () is a Portuguese order of knighthood created on 2 June 1960, to commemorate the quincentenary of the death of the Portuguese ''infante'' Prince Henry the Navigator, one of the main initiators of the Age of Discovery. M ...

(GCIH, 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 (), 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 dignity. The order was cr ...

(GCL, 25 April 2011) * POR_Ordem_do_Merito_Gran-Oficial_BAR

Grand Officer of the Order Merit (GOM, 17 October 1983)

Foreign

*: Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown (23 November 1981) *: Grand Cross of the National Order of the Southern Cross (25 November 1981) *: Grand Cross of the

Order of Merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order r ...

(8 September 1982) *: Grand Cross Order of the Flag of the Republic of Hungary (26 November 1982) *: Knight Grand Cross of the

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking honour of the Republi ...

(2 December 1982) *: Knight Grand Cross of the

Order of Pope Pius IX The Order of Pope Pius IX (), also referred as the Pian Order (, ), is a papal order of knighthood originally founded by Pope Pius IV in 1560. It is the highest honor currently conferred by the Holy See (two higher honors, the Supreme Order of C ...

(15 March 1983) *: Grand Cross of the

Order of Isabella the Catholic The Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic (; Abbreviation, Abbr.: OYC) is a knighthood and one of the three preeminent Order of merit, orders of merit bestowed by the Kingdom of Spain, alongside the Order of Charles III (established in 1771) and ...

(20 March 1989) *: Grand Cross of the

Order of the Yugoslav Flag Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * H ...

(8 June 1983)

External links

Francisco Pinto Balsemao in GeneAll.net

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pinto Balsemao, Francisco 1937 births Living people Members of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group Politicians 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 people of British descent Portuguese people of Italian descent Portuguese people of Swedish descent Portuguese newspaper editors