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{{Short description|Portuguese poet and politician (born 1936)}}{{Infobox Politician
| name                = Manuel Alegre
| office              = [[Portuguese Council of State|Member of the Council of State]]
| nominator           = 
| term_start          = 29 April 2022
| image               = Manuel Alegre.png
| caption             = Manuel Alegre in 2017
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1936|5|12|df=y}}
| birth_name          = Manuel Alegre de Melo Duarte
| president           = [[Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa]]
| appointer1          = [[Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)|Assembly of the Republic]]
| president1          = [[Jorge Sampaio]]<br>[[Aníbal Cavaco Silva]]<br>[[Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa]]
| termstart1          = 2005
| termend1            = 2016
| termstart2          = 1996
| termend2            = 2002
| president2          = [[Jorge Sampaio]]
| nominator2          = 
| nominator1          = 
| appointer           = [[Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)|Assembly of the Republic]]
| appointer2          = [[Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)|Assembly of the Republic]]
| birth_place         = [[Águeda]], [[Portugal]]
| party               = [[Socialist Party (Portugal)|Socialist Party]]
| children            = 3
| order               = 
| honorific_suffix    = [[Order of Liberty|GCL]] [[Military Order of Saint James of the Sword|GCSE]] [[Order of Camões|GCCa]]
}}

'''Manuel Alegre de Melo Duarte''' {{Post-nominals|list=[[Order of Liberty|GCL]] [[Military Order of Saint James of the Sword|GCSE]] [[Order of Camões|GCCa]]}} (born 12 May 1936) is a Portuguese [[poet]] and [[politician]]. He was a candidate to the [[President of Portugal|presidency of the Portuguese Republic]] in [[2006 Portuguese presidential election|2006]] and [[2011 Portuguese presidential election|2011]], finishing in second place in both elections. For his literary work, he was awarded the [[Camões Prize]] in 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Luís Miguel Queirós|url=https://www.publico.pt/2017/06/08/culturaipsilon/noticia/-e-o-vencedor-do-premio-camoes-1775076|title=Manuel Alegre é o vencedor do Prémio Camões|work=Público|date=2017-05-08|accessdate=2017-06-11|language=Portuguese}}</ref>

==Background==
He is the son of Francisco José de Faria e Melo Ferreira Duarte, brother of [[Sportsperson|sportsman]] [[Mário Duarte]], son of the 1st [[Baroness]] of ''a'' Recosta, maternal grandson of the 1st [[Baron]] of Cadoro and matrilineal great-grandson of the 1st [[Viscount]] of ''o'' [[Barreiro, Portugal|Barreiro]], and wife Maria Manuela Alegre. His sister Maria Teresa Alegre de Melo Duarte is also a [[Deputy (legislator)|Deputy]] and is the widow of another Deputy, António Jorge Moreira Portugal (1931–1994). Their son is [[journalist]] Manuel Alegre Portugal. As he once stated, his ancestors were [[hanged]] and [[Decapitation|beheaded]] at the Praça Nova, [[Porto]], during the [[Liberal Wars]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}}

==Career==
He was a member of the [[Portuguese Communist Party]] from his youth until the Soviet invasion of [[Czechoslovakia]], which he staunchly opposed, in 1968. Today he's usually considered one of the most leftist members of the Portuguese [[Socialist Party (Portugal)|Socialist Party]]. He voted against all the revisions of the [[Portuguese Constitution]] of 1976, and abstained at a commemorative vote for the 10th anniversary of the fall of [[Berlin Wall]], in 1999.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}

While studying [[law]] at the [[University of Coimbra]], Alegre was noticed for his opposition to [[António de Oliveira Salazar]]'s dictatorial government - the [[Estado Novo (Portugal)|Estado Novo]] regime. He was [[conscript]]ed, and sent to the [[Azores]] and later to [[Portuguese Angola]], where his involvement in an attempt to military rebellion led to his imprisonment. After serving his prison term in [[Luanda]], he returned to [[Coimbra]], before going into exile in 1964. As a student at the University of Coimbra he was a very active figure of the [[Associação Académica de Coimbra]], the university's student's union, while member of the governing body, athlete and cultural agent (poetry and theatre). He would never graduate in law.

He would live the next ten years in [[Algiers]], where he was one of the main voices of a radio station directed to Portugal, [[Rádio Voz da Liberdade]] (''Freedom's Voice''), also called ''Rádio Argel'', from where he reportedly led a series of activities supporting African forces opposing the Portuguese military intervention in the [[Portuguese Colonial War]], including by airing privileged information regarding Portuguese strategy in the theater of war. The distribution of his first books was forbidden by Salazar's government, so they circulated in [[samizdat]] form. Alegre returned to Portugal in 1974, one week after the [[Carnation Revolution]].{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}

He joined the Socialisty Party almost immediately, and was elected to Parliament in every election from [[1975 Portuguese Constituent Assembly election|1975]] to [[2005 Portuguese legislative election|2005]]. He was also one of the vice-presidents of Parliament.

Several of his poems were made into songs, sung among others by [[Zeca Afonso]] and [[Adriano Correia de Oliveira]], and played by [[Carlos Paredes]]. His words were set to music by Tony Haynes on world jazz ensemble [[Grand Union Orchestra]]'s 1997 album, ''The Rhythm of Tides''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jazz|first=All About|title=Grand Union Orchestra: Music and Movement article @ All About Jazz|url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/grand-union-orchestra-music-and-movement-grand-union-orchestra-by-duncan-heining.php|access-date=2020-11-12|website=All About Jazz|date=3 April 2012 |language=en}}</ref>

One of his poems ''Uma flor de verde pinho'' won 1976's ''Festival RTP da Canção'', who represented Portugal in [[Eurovision Song Contest]].

In [[2004 Portuguese Socialist Party leadership election|2004]], he lost to [[José Sócrates]] a bid for the party leadership.

In 2005, a statue in his honour was erected in [[Coimbra]].

On 24 September 2005, he announced that he would be a candidate in the [[2006 Portuguese presidential election]], despite his party's official support for former president [[Mário Soares]] as a candidate. On the elections held 22 January 2006, he ended up collecting 20.7% of the valid votes (the second largest amount after the elected President, [[Aníbal Cavaco Silva|Cavaco Silva]], and ahead of his party's official candidate Mário Soares).

He is also a Member of the [[Portuguese Council of State]], elected by the [[Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)|Assembly of the Republic]].

==Decorations==
* [[File:PRT Order of Liberty - Grand Cross BAR.svg|80px]] Grand Cross of the [[Order of Liberty]], Portugal (GCL, 19 May 1989)<ref name="OrdHonPor">{{cite web|title=Cidadãos Nacionais Agraciados com Ordens Portuguesas|url=http://www.ordens.presidencia.pt/?idc=153|website=Página Oficial das Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas|accessdate=31 July 2017}}</ref>
* [[File:PRT Order of Saint James of the Sword - Grand Cross BAR.svg|80px]] Grand Cross of the [[Military Order of Saint James of the Sword]], Portugal (GCSE, 20 May 2016)<ref name="OrdHonPor"/>
* [[File:PRT Order of Camões - Grand Cross BAR.svg|80px]] Grand Cross of the [[Order of Camões]], Portugal (GCCa, 15 April 2024)<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 April 2024 |title=PR elogia “coragem ilimitada” de Alegre e condecora-o com Grã-Cruz da Ordem de Camões |trans-title=PR praises Alegre’s “unlimited courage” and awards him the Grand Cross of the Order of Camões |url=https://www.publico.pt/2024/04/15/politica/noticia/pr-elogia-coragem-ilimitada-alegre-condecorao-gracruz-ordem-camoes-2087135 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416042233/https://www.publico.pt/2024/04/15/politica/noticia/pr-elogia-coragem-ilimitada-alegre-condecorao-gracruz-ordem-camoes-2087135 |archive-date=16 April 2024 |access-date=16 April 2024 |work=Público |language=Portuguese}}</ref>

==Family==
He was once married to Isabel Sousa Pires, born in [[Figueira da Foz]], without issue, and is now married to Mafalda Maria de Campos Durão Ferreira, born in [[Lisbon]], 13 December 1947, daughter of António Durão Ferreira and wife Fernanda Furtado de Antas de Campos and only sister of António Miguel de Campos Durão Ferreira (b. 21 January 1946, unmarried), and has three children:<ref>http://www.geneall.net/P/per_page.php?id=335730 Manuel Alegre in a Portuguese Genealogical site</ref>
* Francisco Durão Ferreira Alegre Duarte
* Afonso Durão Ferreira Alegre Duarte (b. 1976)
* Joana Durão Ferreira Alegre Duarte (b. 1985)

==Electoral history==
===PS leadership election, 2004===
{{Main article|2004 Portuguese Socialist Party leadership election}}
{{election table|title=Ballot: 25 and 26 September 2004}}
|- style="background-color:#E9E9E9"
! align="center" colspan=2 style="width:  60px"|Candidate
! align="center" style="width:  50px"|Votes
! align="center" style="width:  50px"|%
|-
|bgcolor={{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}}|
| align=left | [[José Sócrates]]
| align=right | 18,432
| align=right | 78.6
|-
|bgcolor={{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}}|
| align=left | '''Manuel Alegre'''
| align=right | 3,903
| align=right | 16.7
|-
|bgcolor={{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}}|
| align=left | [[João Soares (politician)|João Soares]]
| align=right | 927
| align=right | 4.0
|-
| colspan=2 align=left | Blank/Invalid ballots
| align=right | 175
| align=right | 0.7
|-
|- style="background-color:#E9E9E9"
| colspan=2 style="text-align:left;" |   '''Turnout'''
| align=right | '''23,437'''
| align=center | 
|-
| colspan="4" align=left|Source: Resultados<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cmjornal.pt/politica/detalhe/socrates-novo-lider-indiscutivel |title=Sócrates, novo líder indiscutível |work=Correio da Manhã |date=26 September 2004 |access-date=5 August 2024}}</ref>
|}

=== Presidential election, 2006===
{{Main|2006 Portuguese presidential election}}
{{election table|title=Ballot: 22 January 2006}}
|-
! colspan="2" |Candidate
! Votes
! align="center" style="width:  50px"|%
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}};"|
| align=left |[[Aníbal Cavaco Silva]] || 2,773,431 || 50.5
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};"|
| align=left |'''Manuel Alegre''' || 1,138,297 || 20.7
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}};"|
| align=left |[[Mário Soares]] || 785,355 || 14.3
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}};"|
| align=left |[[Jerónimo de Sousa]] || 474,083 || 8.6
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Left Bloc (Portugal)}};"|
| align=left |[[Francisco Louçã]] || 292,198 || 5.3
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Communist Party of the Portuguese Workers / Reorganizative Movement of the Party of the Proletariat}};"|
| align=left |[[António Garcia Pereira|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<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cne.pt/sites/default/files/dl/resultados_pr_2006.pdf |title=Resultados PR 2006 |work=Comissão Nacional de Eleições |access-date=5 August 2024}}</ref>
|}

=== Presidential election, 2011===
{{Main|2011 Portuguese presidential election}}
{{election table|title=Ballot: 23 January 2011}}
|-
! colspan="2" |Candidate
! Votes
! align="center" style="width:  50px"|%
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}};"|
| align=left |[[Aníbal Cavaco Silva]] || 2,231,956 || 53.0
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}};"|
| align=left |'''Manuel Alegre''' || 831,838 || 19.7
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};"|
| align=left |[[Fernando Nobre]] || 593,021 || 14.1
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}};"|
| align=left |[[Francisco Lopes]] || 301,017 || 7.1
|-
| style="background:#1F468B;"|
| align=left |[[José Manuel Coelho]] || 189,918 || 4.5
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};"|
| align=left |[[Defensor Moura]] || 67,110 || 1.6
|-
| colspan="2" align="left"| Blank/Invalid ballots 
| 277,593 || – 
|- style="background-color:#E9E9E9"
| colspan="2" align="left"| '''Turnout'''
| '''4,492,453''' || '''46.52'''
|-
| colspan="4" align=left|Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cne.pt/sites/default/files/dl/resultados_pr_2011_rectificado.pdf |title=Resultados PR 2011 Rectificado |work=Comissão Nacional de Eleições |access-date=5 August 2024}}</ref>
|}

==Bibliography==
'''Poetry'''
* ''Praça da Canção'' (1965)
* ''O Canto e as Armas'' (1967)
* ''Um Barco para Ítaca'' (1971)
* ''Letras'' (1974)
* ''Coisa Amar, Coisas do Mar'' (1976)
* ''Nova do Achamento'' (1979)
* ''Atlântico'' (1981)
* ''Babilónia'' (1983)
* ''Chegar Aqui'' (1984)
* ''Aicha Conticha'' (1984)
* ''Obra Poética, Vol. I, O Canto e as Armas'' (1989)
* ''Obra Poética, Vol. II, Atlântico'' (1989)
* ''Rua de Baixo'' (1990)
* ''A Rosa e o Compasso'' (1991)
* ''Com que Pena'' (1992)
* ''Sonetos do Obscuro Quê'' (1993)
* ''Coimbra Nunca Vista'' (1995)
* ''Trinta Anos de Poesia'' (1993)
* ''As Naus de Verde Pinho'' (1996)
* ''Alentejo e Ninguém'' (1996)
* ''Che'' (1997)
* ''Senhora das Tempestades'' (1998)
* ''Pico'' (1998)
* ''Rouxinol do Mundo'' (1998)
* ''Obra Poética'' (1999)
* ''Livro do Português Errante'' (2001)
* ''Diálogos = Cristina Valada + Manuel Alegre'' (2001)


'''Prose'''
* ''Jornada de África'' (1989)
* ''O Homem do País Azul'' (1989)
* ''Alma'' (1995)
* ''Contra a Corrente'' (1997)
* ''A Terceira Rosa'' (1998)
* ''Uma Carga de Cavalaria'' (1999)
* ''Arte de Marear'' (2002)
* ''Cão Como Nós'' (2002)
* ''Um Velho em Arzila'' (2003)
* ''Rafael'' (2004)
* ''O Quadrado'' (2005)
* ''Tudo é, e não é'' (2013)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commonscat}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20101013001120/http://manuelalegre2011.pt/ Official site of the candidate] (in Portuguese)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110711150129/http://mmvalls.hautetfort.com/archive/2009/05/21/k.html "Poema com h pequeno" from ''O Canto e as armas'' translated and recited in French, Catalan, Occitanian and Greek]

{{Pessoa Prize}}
{{Camões Prize}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alegre, Manuel}}
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:20th-century Portuguese male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Portuguese poets]]
[[Category:21st-century Venezuelan male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Portuguese poets]]
[[Category:Camões Prize winners]]
[[Category:Candidates for President of Portugal]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Liberty]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint James of the Sword]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the 1st Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)]]
[[Category:Members of the 2nd Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)]]
[[Category:Members of the 3rd Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)]]
[[Category:Members of the 4th Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)]]
[[Category:Members of the 5th Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)]]
[[Category:Members of the 6th Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)]]
[[Category:Members of the 7th Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)]]
[[Category:Members of the 8th Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)]]
[[Category:Members of the 9th Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)]]
[[Category:Members of the 10th Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)]]
[[Category:Members of the Constituent Assembly (Portugal)]]
[[Category:People from Águeda]]
[[Category:Pessoa Prize winners]]
[[Category:Portuguese agnostics]]
[[Category:Portuguese anti-fascists]]
[[Category:Portuguese male poets]]
[[Category:Socialist Party (Portugal) politicians]]
[[Category:University of Coimbra alumni]]