Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares (; 7 December 1924 – 7 January 2017) was a Portuguese 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 1976 to 1978 and from 1983 to 1985, and subsequently as the 17th

president of Portugal The president of Portugal, officially the president of the Portuguese Republic (, ), is the head of state and highest office of Portugal. The powers, functions and duties of prior presidential offices, and their relation with the prime minister ...

from 1986 to 1996. He was the first secretary-general of the

Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of th ...

, from its foundation in 1973 to 1986. A major political figure in Portugal, he is considered the father of Portuguese democracy.

Family

Soares was the son of João Lopes Soares (

Leiria Leiria () is a city and municipality in the Central Region, Portugal, Central Region of Portugal. It is the 2nd largest city in that same region, after Coimbra, with a municipality population of 128,640 (as of 2021) in an area of . It is the seat o ...

, Arrabal, 17 November 1879 –

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

, Campo Grande, 31 July 1970), founder of the Colégio Moderno in Lisbon,

government minister A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ' prime minister', ' p ...

and then anti-fascist republican activist who had been a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

before impregnating and marrying Elisa Nobre Baptista ( Santarém, Pernes, 8 September 1887 –

, Campo Grande, 28 February 1955), Mário Soares's mother, at the 7th Conservatory of the Civil Register of Lisbon on 5 September 1934. His father also had another son by an unknown mother named Tertuliano Lopes Soares. His mother had previously been married and had two children, J. Nobre Baptista and Cândido Nobre Baptista. Mário Soares was raised as a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

, but came to identify himself as a republican,

secular Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin , or or ), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. The origins of secularity can be traced to the Bible itself. The concept was fleshed out through Christian hi ...

and

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

Early life

Soares was born in the Coração de Jesus neighbourhood of

, and graduated in

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

and

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

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 ...

. He became a university lecturer in 1957, but his activities in opposition to the dictatorship of

António de Oliveira Salazar António de Oliveira Salazar (28 April 1889 – 27 July 1970) was a Portuguese statesman, academic, and economist who served as Portugal's President of the Council of Ministers of Portugal, President of the Council of Ministers from 1932 to 1 ...

led to repeated arrests. He was active in resistance groups such as the Movement for Anti-Fascist National Unity and the Movement for Democratic Unity. Soares began his studies at Colégio Moderno, owned by his father. There, for a short period he was taught

geography Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...

Álvaro Cunhal Álvaro Barreirinhas Cunhal (; 10 November 1913 – 13 June 2005) was a Portuguese communist revolutionary and politician. He was one of the major opponents of the dictatorial regime of the '' Estado Novo''. He served as secretary-general of the P ...

, who would later become the towering figure of Portuguese Communism and one of Soares' greatest political rivals. While a student at university, Soares joined the

Portuguese Communist Party The Portuguese Communist Party (, , PCP) is a Communism, communist and Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist List of political parties in Portugal, political party in Portugal. It is one of the strongest List of communist parties, communist par ...

, being responsible for the youth section. In this capacity, he organised demonstrations in Lisbon to celebrate the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He was first arrested by

PIDE The International and State Defense Police (; PIDE) was a Portuguese security agency that existed during the '' Estado Novo'' regime of António de Oliveira Salazar. Formally, the main roles of the PIDE were the border, immigration and emigrati ...

, the Portuguese political police, in 1946, when he was a member of the Central Committee of the Movement of Democratic Unity (), at the time chaired by . Soares was arrested twice in 1949. On those latter occasions, he was the secretary of General Norton de Matos, a candidate for the Presidency. However, he became estranged from de Matos when the latter discovered Soares's Communist sympathies. Soares married Maria de Jesus Barroso Soares, an

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

, on 22 February 1949, while in the Aljube prison, at the Third Conservatory of the Civil Register of Lisbon. They had a son, João Soares, who later became Mayor of Lisbon, and a daughter, Isabel Barroso Soares (born in 1951), who now manages the Colégio Moderno. Soares's multiple arrests for political activism made it impossible for him to continue with his career as a lecturer of history and philosophy. Therefore, he decided to study law and become an attorney.

Political activity during the ''Estado Novo''

In 1958, Soares was very active in the presidential election supporting General Humberto Delgado. Later, he would become Delgado's family lawyer, when Humberto Delgado was murdered in 1965, in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, by agents of the dictatorship's secret police (PIDE). As a lawyer, he defended some of Portugal's political prisoners and participated in numerous trials conducted in the Plenary Court and in the Special Military Court. Represented, particularly,

when he was accused of several political crimes, and along with Adelino da Palma Carlos he also defended the dynastic cause of Maria Pia of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Braganza. In April 1964, in

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, Soares together with Francisco Ramos da Costa and Manuel Tito de Morais created the ''Acção Socialista Portuguesa'' ( Portuguese Socialist Action). At this point he was already quite distant from his former Communist friends (having quit the Communist Party in 1951); his views were now clearly inclined towards

economic liberalism Economic liberalism is a political and economic ideology that supports a market economy based on individualism and private property in the means of production. Adam Smith is considered one of the primary initial writers on economic liberalism ...

. In March 1968, Soares was arrested again by PIDE, and a military tribunal sentenced him to banishment in the colony of São Tomé and Principe in the

Gulf of Guinea The Gulf of Guinea (French language, French: ''Golfe de Guinée''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Golfo de Guinea''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Golfo da Guiné'') is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez i ...

. His wife and two children, Isabel and João, accompanied him. However, they returned to Lisbon eight months later for in the meantime dictator Salazar had been replaced by

Marcello Caetano Marcello is a common masculine Italian given name. It is a variant of Marcellus. The Spanish and Portuguese version of the name is Marcelo, differing in having only one "l", while the Greek form is Markellos. Etymology The name originally mea ...

. The new dictator wanted to present a more democratic face to the world, so many political prisoners, Soares among them, were released and allowed exile in France. In the October 1969 general election, which was rigged, the democratic opposition (whose political rights were severely restricted) entered with two different lists. Soares participated actively in the campaign supporting the ''Coligação Eleitoral de Unidade Democrática'' or CEUD ( Electoral Coalition for Democratic Unity). CEUD was clearly anti-fascist, but they also reaffirmed their opposition to Communism. In 1970, Soares was exiled to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, but eventually settled in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

where he taught at the Universities of Vincennes,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and

Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...

. In 1973, the 'Portuguese Socialist Action' became the

, and Soares was elected Secretary-General. The Socialist party was created under the umbrella of

Willy Brandt Willy Brandt (; born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm; 18 December 1913 – 8 October 1992) was a German politician and statesman who was leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) from 1964 to 1987 and concurrently served as the Chancellor ...

's SPD in Bad Münstereifel,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, on 19 April 1973.

Carnation Revolution

On 25 April 1974, elements of the

Portuguese Army The Portuguese Army () is the land component of the Portuguese Armed Forces, Armed Forces of Portugal and is also its largest branch. It is charged with the defence of Portugal, in co-operation with other branches of the Armed Forces. With its ...

seized power in Lisbon, overthrowing Salazar's successor,

. Soares and other political exiles returned home to celebrate what was termed the "

Carnation Revolution The Carnation Revolution (), code-named Operation Historic Turn (), also known as the 25 April (), was a military coup by military officers that overthrew the Estado Novo government on 25 April 1974 in Portugal. The coup produced major socia ...

". In the provisional government which was formed after the revolution, led by the Movement of the Armed Forces (MFA), Soares became minister for overseas negotiations, charged with organising the independence of Portugal's overseas colonies. Among other encounters, he met with

Samora Machel Samora Moisés Machel (29 September 1933 – 19 October 1986) was a Mozambique, Mozambican politician and revolutionary. A Socialism, socialist in the tradition of Marxism–Leninism, he served as the first President of Mozambique from the coun ...

, the leader of

Frelimo FRELIMO (; from , ) is a democratic socialist political party in Mozambique. It has governed the country since its independence from Portugal in 1975. Founded in 1962, FRELIMO began as a nationalist movement fighting for the self-determination ...

, to negotiate the independence of

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

. Within months of the revolution however (and in spite of the April 1975 Constituent Assembly election results which gave victory to the

and clearly favored the pro-democracy political parties), it became apparent that the

, allied with a radical group of officers in the MFA, was attempting to extend its control over the government. The prime minister, Vasco dos Santos Gonçalves, was accused of being an agent of the Communists and a bitter confrontation developed between the Socialists and Communists over control of the newspaper '' República''. President Francisco da Costa Gomes dismissed Vasco Gonçalves in September 1975 and a failed

far-left Far-left politics, also known as extreme left politics or left-wing extremism, are politics further to the left on the left–right political spectrum than the standard political left. The term does not have a single, coherent definition; some ...

coup in late November ended the far-left influence in Portuguese government and politics. After the approval of the 1976 Constitution, a democratic government was finally established when national elections were held on 25 April 1976.

Prime minister

The 1976 legislative election gave the Socialists a plurality of seats in the newly created Assembly of the Republic and Soares became

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

. Deep hostility between the Socialists and the Communists made a left-wing majority government impossible, and Soares formed a weak minority government. Vast fiscal and currency account deficits generated by previous governments forced Soares to adopt a strict austerity policy, which made him deeply unpopular. Soares had to resign from office after only two years, in 1978. The wave of left-wing sentiment which followed the 1974 revolution had now dissipated, and a succession of conservative governments held office until 1983, with Soares'

unsuccessful in the 1979 special elections and 1980 elections. Soares again became prime minister following the 1983 elections, holding office until late 1985. His main achievement in office was negotiating Portugal's entry into the

European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organisation created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...

. Portugal at the time was very wary of integrating itself into the

EEC The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organisation created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...

, and Soares almost single-handedly turned public opinion around.

Presidency

In the 1986 presidential election, Soares was elected president of Portugal, beating Diogo Freitas do Amaral by little more than 2%. He was reelected in 1991, this time with almost 70% of the vote. For most of Soares' two terms of office, Portugal was governed by the centre-right

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 ...

, led by

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 ...

. In 1989, he was the first foreign

head of state A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 "

he head of state He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...

being an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...

to visit

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

in the course of the

Velvet Revolution The Velvet Revolution () or Gentle Revolution () was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations against the one-party government of the Communist Pa ...

, invited by

Václav Havel Václav Havel (; 5 October 193618 December 2011) was a Czech statesman, author, poet, playwright, and dissident. Havel served as the last List of presidents of Czechoslovakia, president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until 1992, prior to the dissol ...

, who was elected

president of Czechoslovakia The president of Czechoslovakia (, ) was the head of state of Czechoslovakia, from the Origins of Czechoslovakia, creation of the First Czechoslovak Republic in 1918 until the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia, dissolution of the Czech and Slovak F ...

two days later. He devised the so-called ''Presidência Aberta'' (Open Presidency), a series of tours around the country, each addressing a particular issue, such as the environment or a particular region of Portugal. Although generally well received by the public, some claimed that he was criticizing the government and exceeding his constitutional role. Others stated that the tours were in the style of medieval courts. Yet the name stuck for today's presidential initiatives of the same type.

Post-Presidency

*Soares retired in 1996, but in 1998 he headed the Independent World Commission on the Oceans. *In

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

he headed the Socialist ticket in elections to the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...

, where he served until the 2004 elections. He ran for President of the Parliament, but lost to

Nicole Fontaine Nicole Fontaine (16 January 1942 – 17 May 2018) was a French politician who served as Member of the European Parliament for the Île-de-France from 1984 until 2002 and from 2004 until 2009. She was a member of the Union for a Popular Movement, ...

. *In 2000 he was awarded the North-South Prize. *Soares was a member of the Club de Madrid, an independent organization of more than 80 former democratic statesmen from around the world. The group works to strengthen democratic governance and leadership. *In March 2005, he launched a petition urging the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

to start membership talks with

Cape Verde Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about . These islands ...

. *On 30 August 2005, he announced his candidacy to run for president in the election that occurred on 22 January 2006, when he was 81 years old. However, he lost the election to

and was even behind Manuel Alegre, receiving 14% of the vote. "The results went against my expectations. I accept this defeat with a feeling of mission accomplished,
he said
It was suggested (on the RTP1 TV programme ''Prós e Contras'' in March 2008) that one of the reasons for his weak support could be that the Portuguese were reluctant to elect any president for more than two terms (only allowed by the Portuguese Constitution of 1976 if non-consecutive). Mario Soares Carmo 1 1

* In the TV programme '' Os Grandes Portugueses'' (English: The Greatest Portuguese), he was voted 12th, the highest-placed among living people chosen by the public. * He was a member of the strongest

Masonic lodge A Masonic lodge (also called Freemasons' lodge, or private lodge or constituent lodge) is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also a commonly used term for a building where Freemasons meet and hold their meetings. Every new l ...

in Portugal. * He was president of the then ( (FMS)). * He sat on the board of directors of the (). * He was 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 ...

, as a former elected president of Portugal. *After the Finnish general elections on 17 April 2011, Soares opined that "Finland has changed into an extremely conservative country, where solidarity is unknown." Soares evoked the memory of Kalevi Sorsa, contrasting his generosity with "those dwarfs, who now want to rule Finland, their ethical values and hostility to Portugal". According to Soares the Finns live in an illusion, believing that "speculative markets and credit criminals can destroy nations with nine hundred years' independent history".

Death and state funeral

Soares died on 7 January 2017 at the age of 92. He had been admitted to the hospital on 13 December, and although his condition at first showed slight signs of improvement, he lapsed into a coma on 26 December from which he never recovered. The

Portuguese Government Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

offered a state funeral and declared three days of national mourning. It was the first state funeral in Portugal after that of President Óscar Carmona in 1951. After lying in state at

Jerónimos Monastery The Jerónimos Monastery or Hieronymites Monastery (, ) is a former monastery of the Hieronymites, Order of Saint Jerome near the Tagus river in the parish of Santa Maria de Belém, Belém, in the Lisbon Municipality, Portugal. It became the nec ...

during 9 January, his remains were transported to Prazeres Cemetery the next day, and now lie at the family vault next to those of his wife.

Honours and awards

National honours

N.B. according to "Ordens honoríficas portuguesas �
Nacionais com Ordens Portuguesas
recipients: * PRT Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword - Grand Cross BAR

PRT Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword - Grand Cross BAR

Grand Collar of the Order of the Tower and Sword (GColTE – 9 March 1991) * PRT Order of Christ - Grand Cross BAR

Grand Cross of the Order of Christ (GCC – 09/04/1981) * PRT_Order_of_Liberty_-_Grand_Cross_BAR

Grand Collar 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 ...

(GColL – 9 March 1996) * PRT Three Orders BAR

Grand Master of the Portuguese Orders (9 March 1986 – 9 March 1996):

Foreign honours

N.B. according to "Ordens honoríficas portuguesas �
Nacionais com Ordens Estrangeiras
recipients: *: Collar (Athir) of the National Order of Merit (29 May 2005) *: Grand Star of the

Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria The Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria () is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria. It is divided into 15 classes and is the highest award in the Austrian national honours system. History The Decoration of Hono ...

(10 March 1987) *: **Grand Collar of the

Order of the Southern Cross The National Order of the Southern Cross () is a Brazilian Orders, decorations, and medals of Brazil, order of chivalry founded by List of monarchs of Brazil, Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, Pedro I on 1 December 1822. The order aimed to commemorate ...

(10 November 1987) **Grand Collar of the Order of the National Congress (13 April 1987) **Grand Cross of the

(10 March 1987) **Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (30 March 1988) **Grand Cross of the

Order of Rio Branco 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 * ...

(4 January 1977) ::*: Collar of the Order of Merit of Bahia (30 March 1988) ::*: Grand Cross of the Order of Ipiranga (13 April 1987) *: First Class of the Order of the Balkan Mountains (26 October 1994) *: 1st Class of the (5 January 2001) *: Collar 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 ...

(22 July 1992) *: Grand Collar of the Order of Boyaca (27 July 1988) *: Grand Cross of the (12 September 1989) *: Grand Collar of the Order of Makarios III (29 May 1990) *: **Knight of the

Order of the Elephant The Order of the Elephant () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry and is Denmark's highest-ranked honour. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional monarchy in ...

(6 May 1992) **Grand Cross of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V of Denmark, Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single cla ...

(30 March 1988) *: Grand Cross of the

Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella The Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella (''Orden al Mérito de Duarte, Sánchez y Mella'') is the principal order of the Dominican Republic. It was established on 24 February 1931 as the ''Juan Pablo Duarte Order of Merit'' (''Orden al M ...

(10 March 1987) *: Grand Collar of the

Order of Timor-Leste The Order of Timor-Leste () is the highest Order (honour), honour currently awarded by Timor-Leste. Established in 2009, the order was created after the original honours granted by Timor-Leste. It is of a more general and broader nature than the ...

(3 January 2017) *: Collar of the National Order of Merit (12 September 1989) *: Collar of the

Order of the Nile The Order of the Nile (''Kiladat El Nil'') was established in 1915 and was one of the Kingdom of Egypt's principal orders until the monarchy was abolished in 1953. It was then reconstituted as the Republic of Egypt's highest state honor. Sulta ...

(4 April 1992) *: Grand Cross with Collar of the

Order of the White Rose of Finland The Order of the White Rose of Finland (; ) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland. The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The ...

(8 March 1991) *: **Grand Cross of the National Order of Legion of Honour (7 May 1990) **Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (26 May 1988) *: **Grand Cross Special Class of the

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...

(8 January 1991) **Grand Cross of the

(10 March 1987) *: Grand Cross of the

Order of the Redeemer The Order of the Redeemer (), also known as the Order of the Saviour, is an order of merit of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the modern Greek state. Establishment The establishment of the Orde ...

(20 November 1987) *: Collar 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 ...

(8 January 1991) *: Grand Cross of the

Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary The Hungarian Order of Merit () is the fourth highest Order (honour), State Order of Hungary. Founded in 1991, the order is a revival of an original order founded in 1946 and abolished in 1949. Its origins, however, can be traced to the Order of ...

(25 January 1993) *: **Grand Cross with Collar of the

Order of the Falcon The Order of the Falcon () is the only order of chivalry in Iceland, founded by Christian X of Denmark, King Christian X of Denmark and Iceland on 3 July 1921. The award is awarded for merit for Iceland and humanity and has five degrees. Nowaday ...

(4 June 1993) **Grand Cross of the

(21 November 1983) *: **Knight Grand Cross with Collar 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 ...

(5 April 1989) **Knight Grand Cross of the

(26 April 1986) *: Grand Cross of the National Order of the Ivory Coast (1 June 1990) *: **Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (26 May 1988) **Grand Cross of the

Order of the Oak Crown The Order of the Oak Crown (, , ) is an order (honour), order of the Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. History The Order of the Oak Crown was established in 1841 by William II of the Netherlands, Grand Duke William II, who was also King o ...

(28 February 1996) *: Honorary Companion of Honour of the National Order of Merit (9 October 1994) *: Grand Cross of the

Order of the Aztec Eagle The Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle () forms part of the Mexican Honors System and is the highest Mexican order awarded to foreigners. History It was created by decree on December 29, 1933, by President Abelardo L. Rodríguez as a reward to ...

(16 January 2003) *: **Collar of the Order of Muhammad (20 February 1995) **First Class of the Order of Muhammad (6 February 1992) *: Knight Grand Cross of the

Order of the Netherlands Lion The Order of the Netherlands Lion, also known as the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands (, ) is a Dutch honours system, Dutch order of chivalry founded by William I of the Netherlands on 29 September 1815. The Order of the Netherlands Lion wa ...

(26 September 1991) *: Grand Cross of the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav (; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II, known to posterity as St. Olav. Just be ...

(10 March 1987) *: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Palestine (18 November 1993) *: Presidential Collar of Marshal López (Grand Cross) of the National Order of Merit (18 December 1995) *: **Grand Cross of the

Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland The Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland () is a Polish order of merit created in 1974, awarded to persons who have rendered great service to Poland. It is granted to foreigners or Poles resident abroad. As such, it is sometimes referred to as ...

(21 May 1993) **Grand Cross of the

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...

(26 October 1994) **Grand Cross of the Order of St Mary Magdalene (19 August 1993) *: Grand Cross of the (28 February 1996) *: Grand Gwanghwa Medal of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit (23 April 1987) *: Grand Cross of the Order of Good Hope (17 November 1995) *: Collar of the

Order pro merito Melitensi The Order of Merit (; ) is the order of merit of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, established in 1920. It is awarded to recipients who have brought honour to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, promoted Christian values and for chari ...

(9 May 1989) *: **Collar of the

Order of Charles III The Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, originally Royal and Much Distinguished Order of Charles III (, originally ; Abbreviation, Abbr.: OC3) is a knighthood and one of the three preeminent Order of merit, orders of merit bes ...

(30 March 1988) **Knight Grand Cross of the

(10 March 1987) **Knight 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 ...

(21 November 1977) *: Knight of the

Order of the Seraphim The Royal Order of the Seraphim (; ''Seraphim'' being a category of angels) is the highest order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Sweden. It was created by Frederick I of Sweden, King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the ...

(28 January 1987) *: Grand Cross of the Order of 7 November (6 December 1993) *: **Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

(19 May 1994) **Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III ...

(28 February 1996) *: Collar of the Order of the Liberator (10 November 1987) *: **Great Star of the Order of the Yugoslav Star (23 April 1990) **Sash of the Order of the Yugoslav Star (30 March 1988) *: Grand Cordon of the National Order of the Leopard (4 December 1989)

Foreign awards

In 1998, Soares won the International Simón Bolívar Prize of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

. In 2000, Soares received the North-South Prize of the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...

. He was an honorary member of the

Club of Rome The Club of Rome is a nonprofit, informal organization of intellectuals and business leaders whose goal is a critical discussion of pressing list of global issues, global issues. The Club of Rome was founded in 1968 at Accademia dei Lincei in R ...

and member of High Council of Francophonie. He was appointed Doctor of Laws ''(honoris causa)'' by the

University of Leicester The University of Leicester ( ) is a public university, public research university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park, Leicester, Victoria Park. The university's predecessor, Univ ...

in 1994. Soares was named the "patron" for the

College of Europe The College of Europe (; ; ) is a post-graduate institute of European studies with three campuses in Bruges, Belgium; Warsaw, Poland; and Tirana, Albania. The College of Europe in Bruges was founded in 1949 as a result of the 1948 Congress of ...

's academic year 2020-2021.

Electoral history

Legislative election, 1969

Marcelo Caetano Marcello José das Neves Alves Caetano (17 August 1906 – 26 October 1980) was a Portuguese politician and scholar. He was the second and last leader of the Estado Novo after succeeding António de Oliveira Salazar. He served as prime mini ...

, , 981,263 , , 88.0 , , 130 , , ±0 , - , style="background:darkred;", , align="left", MDP/CDE , align=left , Francisco Pereira de Moura , , 114,745 , , 10.3 , , 0 , , ''new'' , - , style="background:red;", , align="left", CEUD , align=left , Mário Soares , , 16,863 , , 1.5 , , 0 , , ''new'' , - , style="background:blue;", , align="left",

CEM Cem Sultan (1459–1495) was a prince of the Ottoman Empire. Cem or CEM may also refer to: Colleges * College of Eastern Medicine, a branch of Southern California University of Health Sciences, in Los Angeles, California, US * College of Eme ...

, align=left , Henrique Barrilaro Ruas , , 1,324 , , 0.1 , , 0 , , ''new'' , - , colspan="3" align="left", Blank/Invalid ballots , 1,053 , , – , , – , , – , - style="background-color:#E9E9E9" , colspan="3" align="left", Turnout , 1,115,248 , , 62.50 , , 150 , , ±0 , - , colspan="7" align=left, Source: Legislativas 1969

Constituent Assembly, 1975

, - ! colspan="2" , Party ! Candidate ! Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px", % ! align="center" style="width: 50px", Seats , - , style="background:;", , align="left", PS , align=left , Mário Soares , , 2,162,972 , , 37.9 , , 116 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", PPD , align=left , Francisco Sá Carneiro , , 1,507,282 , , 26.4 , , 81 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", PCP , align=left ,

, , 711,935 , , 12.5 , , 30 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", CDS , align=left , Diogo Freitas do Amaral , , 434,879 , , 7.6 , , 16 , - , style="background:darkred;", , align="left", MDP/CDE , align=left , Francisco Pereira de Moura , , 236,318 , , 4.1 , , 5 , - , style="background:red;", , align="left", FSP , align=left , Manuel Serra , , 66,307 , , 1.2 , , 0 , - , style="background:red;", , align="left", MES , align=left , Afonso de Barros , , 58,248 , , 1.0 , , 0 , - , style="background:white;", , colspan="2" align="left", Other parties , 137,213 , , 2.4 , , 2 , - , colspan="3" align="left", Blank/Invalid ballots , 396,675 , , 7.0 , , – , - style="background-color:#E9E9E9" , colspan="3" align="left", Turnout , 5,711,829 , , 91.66 , , 250 , - , colspan="6" align=left, Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

Legislative election, 1976

, - ! colspan="2" , Party ! Candidate ! Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px", % ! align="center" style="width: 50px", Seats ! align="center" style="width: 50px", +/− , - , style="background:;", , align="left", PS , align=left , Mário Soares , , 1,912,921 , , 34.9 , , 107 , , style="color:red;", –9 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", PPD , align=left , Francisco Sá Carneiro , , 1,335,381 , , 24.4 , , 73 , , style="color:red;", –8 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", CDS , align=left , Diogo Freitas do Amaral , , 876,007 , , 16.0 , , 42 , , style="color:green;", +26 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", PCP , align=left ,

, , 788,830 , , 14.4 , , 40 , , style="color:green;", +10 , - , style="background:#E2062C;", , align="left", UDP , align=left , Mário Tomé , , 91,690 , , 1.7 , , 1 , , ±0 , - , style="background:white;", , colspan="2" align="left", Other parties , 220,936 , , 4.0 , , 0 , , ±0 , - , colspan="3" align="left", Blank/Invalid ballots , 257,696 , , 2.7 , , – , , – , - style="background-color:#E9E9E9" , colspan="3" align="left", Turnout , 5,483,461 , , 83.53 , , 263 , , style="color:green;", +13 , - , colspan="7" align=left, Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

Legislative election, 1979

, - ! colspan="2" , Party ! Candidate ! Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px", % ! align="center" style="width: 50px", Seats ! align="center" style="width: 50px", +/− , - , style="background:#2A52BE;", , align="left", AD , align=left , Francisco Sá Carneiro , , 2,719,208 , , 45.3 , , 128 , , style="color:green;", +13 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", PS , align=left , Mário Soares , , 1,642,136 , , 27.3 , , 74 , , style="color:red;", –33 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", APU , align=left ,

, , 1,129,322 , , 18.8 , , 47 , , style="color:green;", +7 , - , style="background:#E2062C;", , align="left", UDP , align=left , Mário Tomé , , 130,842 , , 2.2 , , 1 , , ±0 , - , style="background:darkolivegreen;", , align="left", PDC , align=left , José Sanches Osório , , 72,514 , , 1.2 , , 0 , , ±0 , - , style="background:white;", , colspan="2" align="left", Other parties , 149,717 , , 2.5 , , 0 , , ±0 , - , colspan="3" align="left", Blank/Invalid ballots , 163,714 , , 2.7 , , – , , – , - style="background-color:#E9E9E9" , colspan="3" align="left", Turnout , 6,007,453 , , 82.86 , , 250 , , style="color:red;", –13 , - , colspan="7" align=left, Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

Legislative election, 1980

, - ! colspan="2" , Party ! Candidate ! Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px", % ! align="center" style="width: 50px", Seats ! align="center" style="width: 50px", +/− , - , style="background:#2A52BE;", , align="left", AD , align=left , Francisco Sá Carneiro , , 2,868,076 , , 47.6 , , 134 , , style="color:green;", +6 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", PS , align=left , Mário Soares , , 1,673,279 , , 27.8 , , 74 , , ±0 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", APU , align=left ,

, , 1,009,505 , , 16.8 , , 41 , , style="color:red;", –6 , - , style="background:#E2062C;", , align="left", UDP , align=left , Mário Tomé , , 83,204 , , 1.4 , , 1 , , ±0 , - , style="background:red;", , align="left",

POUS The pous ( podes; , ''poús'') or Greek foot ( feet) was a Greek unit of length of approximately 300mm or 12 inches. It had various subdivisions whose lengths varied by place and over time. 100 podes made up one plethron, 600 podes made ...

, align=left , Carmelinda Pereira , , 83,095 , , 1.4 , , 0 , , ±0 , - , style="background:#780000;", , align="left", PSR , align=left , – , , 60,496 , , 1.0 , , 0 , , ±0 , - , style="background:white;", , colspan="2" align="left", Other parties , 111,078 , , 1.8 , , 0 , , ±0 , - , colspan="3" align="left", Blank/Invalid ballots , 137,692 , , 2.3 , , – , , – , - style="background-color:#E9E9E9" , colspan="3" align="left", Turnout , 6,026,395 , , 83.94 , , 250 , , ±0 , - , colspan="7" align=left, Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

Legislative election, 1983

, - ! colspan="2" , Party ! Candidate ! Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px", % ! align="center" style="width: 50px", Seats ! align="center" style="width: 50px", +/− , - , style="background:;", , align="left", PS , align=left , Mário Soares , , 2,061,309 , , 36.1 , , 101 , , style="color:green;", +35 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", PSD , align=left , Carlos Mota Pinto , , 1,554,804 , , 27.2 , , 75 , , style="color:red;", –7 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", APU , align=left ,

, , 1,031,609 , , 18.1 , , 44 , , style="color:green;", +3 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", CDS , align=left , Lucas Pires , , 716,705 , , 12.6 , , 30 , , style="color:red;", –16 , - , style="background:white;", , colspan="2" align="left", Other parties , 196,498 , , 3.4 , , 0 , , ±0 , - , colspan="3" align="left", Blank/Invalid ballots , 146,770 , , 2.6 , , – , , – , - style="background-color:#E9E9E9" , colspan="3" align="left", Turnout , 5,707,695 , , 77.79 , , 263 , , style="color:green;", ±0 , - , colspan="7" align=left, Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

Presidential election, 1986

, - ! rowspan="2" colspan="2" , Candidate ! colspan="2" , First round ! colspan="2" , Second round , - ! Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px", % ! Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px", % , - , style="background:;", , align=left , Mário Soares , , 1,443,683 , , 25.4 , , 3,010,756 , , 51.2 , - , style="background:;", , align=left , Diogo Freitas do Amaral , , 2,629,597 , , 46.3 , , 2,872,064 , , 48.8 , - , style="background:green;", , align=left , Francisco Salgado Zenha , , 1,185,867 , , 20.9 , - , style="background:;", , align=left , Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo , , 418,961 , , 7.4 , - , colspan="2" align="left", Blank/Invalid ballots , 64,626 , , – , , 54,280 , , – , - style="background-color:#E9E9E9" , colspan="2" align="left", Turnout , 5,742,734 , , 75.39 , , 5,937,100 , , 77.99 , - , colspan="6" align=left, Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

Presidential election, 1991

, - ! colspan="2" , Candidate ! Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px", % , - , style="background:;", , align=left , Mário Soares , , 3,459,521 , , 70.4 , - , style="background:;", , align=left , Basílio Horta , , 696,379 , , 14.2 , - , style="background:;", , align=left , Carlos Carvalhas , , 635,373 , , 12.9 , - , style="background:#E2062C;", , align=left , Carlos Manuel Marques , , 126,581 , , 2.6 , - , colspan="2" align="left", Blank/Invalid ballots , 180,214 , , – , - style="background-color:#E9E9E9" , colspan="2" align="left", Turnout , 5,098,768 , , 62.16 , - , colspan="4" align=left, Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

European Parliament election, 1999

, - ! colspan="2" , Party ! Candidate ! Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px", % ! align="center" style="width: 50px", Seats ! align="center" style="width: 50px", +/− , - , style="background:;", , align="left", PS , align=left , Mário Soares , , 1,493,146 , , 43.1 , , 12 , , style="color:green;", +2 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", PSD , align=left , Pacheco Pereira , , 1,078,528 , , 31.1 , , 9 , , ±0 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", CDU , align=left ,

Ilda Figueiredo Maria Ilda da Costa Figueiredo (born 30 October 1948) is a Portugal, Portuguese politician and a former Member of the European Parliament for the Portuguese Communist Party, part of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left European Parliament p ...

, , 357,671 , , 10.3 , , 2 , , style="color:red;", –1 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", CDS–PP , align=left ,

Paulo Portas Paulo de Sacadura Cabral Portas (born 12 September 1962, ) is a Portuguese media and political figure, who has, since the 1990s, been one of Portugal's leading conservative politicians. He was the leader of one of Portugal's right-wing parties, ...

, , 283,067 , , 8.2 , , 2 , , style="color:red;", –1 , - , style="background:;", , align="left", BE , align=left , Miguel Portas , , 61,920 , , 1.8 , , 0 , , ''new'' , - , style="background:white;", , colspan="2" align="left", Other parties , 79,619 , , 2.3 , , 0 , , ±0 , - , colspan="3" align="left", Blank/Invalid ballots , 113,134 , , 3.3 , , – , , – , - style="background-color:#E9E9E9" , colspan="3" align="left", Turnout , 3,467,085 , , 39.93 , , 25 , , style="color:green;", ±0 , - , colspan="7" align=left, Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

President of the European Parliament election, 1999

, - style="background-color:#E9E9E9" ! align="center" colspan=2, Party ! align="center" , Candidate ! align="center" style="width: 50px", Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px", % , - , bgcolor=, , align=left , EPP , align=left ,

, align=right , 306 , align=right , 60.5 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left , PES , align=left , Mário Soares , align=right , 200 , align=right , 39.5 , - , - style="background-color:#E9E9E9" , colspan=3 style="text-align:left;" , Turnout , align=right , 506 , align=center , , - , colspan="5" align=left, Source: Resultados

Presidential election, 2006

, - ! colspan="2" , Candidate ! Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px", % , - , style="background:;", , align=left ,

, , 2,773,431 , , 50.5 , - , style="background:;", , align=left , Manuel Alegre , , 1,138,297 , , 20.7 , - , style="background:;", , align=left , Mário Soares , , 785,355 , , 14.3 , - , style="background:;", , align=left , Jerónimo de Sousa , , 474,083 , , 8.6 , - , style="background:;", , align=left , Francisco Louçã , , 292,198 , , 5.3 , - , style="background:;", , align=left , Garcia Pereira , , 23,983 , , 0.4 , - , colspan="2" align="left", Blank/Invalid ballots , 102,785 , , – , - style="background-color:#E9E9E9" , colspan="2" align="left", Turnout , 5,590,132 , , 61.53 , - , colspan="4" align=left, Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

References

External links

Fundação Mário Soares
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soares, Mario 1924 births 2017 deaths Presidents of Portugal Prime ministers of Portugal Portuguese democracy activists Portuguese anti-fascists People from Lisbon Former Roman Catholics Portuguese agnostics Golden Globes (Portugal) winners Portuguese Freemasons Portuguese Communist Party politicians Socialist Party (Portugal) politicians Socialist Party (Portugal) MEPs MEPs for Portugal 1999–2004 Ministers of foreign affairs of Portugal University of Lisbon alumni Academic staff of Rennes 2 University 20th-century Portuguese lawyers Grand Collars of the Order of Liberty Grand Crosses of the Order of Christ (Portugal) Recipients of the Order of the Tower and Sword Grand Crosses of the Order of Polonia Restituta Grand Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the National Order of Merit (Brazil) International Simón Bolívar Prize recipients Members of the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco Portuguese political party founders