Francisco Pinto Balsemão
Francisco Pinto Balsemão | |
|---|---|
Balsemão in 1982 | |
| Prime Minister of Portugal | |
| In office 9 January 1981 – 9 June 1983 | |
| President | António Ramalho Eanes |
| Deputy | Diogo Freitas do Amaral |
| Preceded by | Francisco Sá Carneiro |
| Succeeded by | Mário Soares |
| President of the Social Democratic Party | |
| In office 13 December 1980 – 27 February 1983 | |
| Secretary‑General | António Capucho |
| Preceded by | Francisco Sá Carneiro |
| Succeeded by | Nuno Rodrigues dos Santos |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 September 1937 Lisbon, Lisbon District, Portugal |
| Died | 21 October 2025 (aged 88) Cascais, Lisbon District, Portugal |
| Party | Social Democratic Party |
| Spouses | Maria Isabel de Lacerda Rebelo Pinto da Costa Lobo
(m. 1964, divorced)Maria Mercedes Aliu Presas
(m. 1975) |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | Pedro IV of Portugal (great-great-grandfather) |
| Alma mater | University of Lisbon |
| Occupation |
|
| Known for | Founder of Impresa |
| Signature | |
Francisco José Pereira Pinto Balsemão (Portuguese pronunciation: [fɾɐ̃ˈsiʃku ˈpĩtu βalsɨˈmɐ̃w]; 1 September 1937 – 21 October 2025) was a Portuguese businessman, journalist, and politician, who served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1981 to 1983.
Under the Estado Novo regime, Pinto Balsemão served in the National Assembly as part of the pro-democracy "Liberal Wing". In 1974, shortly after the Carnation Revolution, Pinto Balsemão co-founded the Social Democratic Party along with like-minded politicians Francisco Sá Carneiro and Joaquim Magalhães Mota.
During the Portuguese transition to democracy, Pinto Balsemão served in the Constituent Assembly, which was tasked with drafting a new constitution. Under prime minister Sá Carneiro, Pinto Balsemão served as a cabinet minister. After Sá Carneiro died in 1980, Pinto Balsemão succeeded him as prime minister in 1981, although political tension led him to leave office in 1983.
In addition to holding political office, Pinto Balsemão led the Impresa media group, founding the Expresso newspaper in 1973 and the SIC television network in 1992.