Francisco Pinto Balsemão

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Revision as of 21:36, 28 October 2025 by 98.170.164.88 (talk) (→Career: better)
(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Portuguese name {{#invoke:infobox|infoboxTemplate | bodyclass = vcard | bodystyle = {{#if:|width: {{{mainwidth}}}}} | child = {{{embed}}}

| abovestyle = font-size: 100%;

| above = {{#if:His Excellency|

His Excellency

}}

{{#if:Francisco Pinto Balsemão|Francisco Pinto Balsemão|Template:PAGENAMEBASE}}

{{#if:GCC GCIH GCL GO|

GCC GCIH GCL GO

}}

| subheaderstyle = font-size:125%; font-weight:bold;

| subheader = {{#ifeq:{{{embed}}}|yes||{{#if:|{{#if:|

}}{{{native_name}}}{{#if:|

}}}}}}

| image = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage|image=Dries van Agt en Francisco José Pereira Pinto Balsemão (1982) (cropped).jpg|size=|upright=1|alt=|suppressplaceholder=yes}} | image2 = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage|image=|size=|upright=1|alt=|suppressplaceholder=yes}} | image3 = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage|image=|upright=1|alt=|suppressplaceholder=yes}} | captionstyle = line-height:normal;padding-top:0.2em; | caption{{#if:|3|{{#if:|2}}}} = Balsemão in 1982

| headerstyle = color: #202122; {{#ifeq:{{{embed}}}|yes|background:#eee|background:lavender}}

| data1 = {{#if:| {{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}}}Template:Infobox officeholder/office{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| {{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}

| data2 = | header3 = {{#if:Template:Birth dateLisbon, Lisbon District, PortugalTemplate:Death date and ageCascais, Lisbon District, PortugalSocial Democratic PartyTemplate:Plainlist5Pedro IV of Portugal (great-great-grandfather)University of LisbonJournalist, newspaper administrator, founder of Impresa media group|Personal details}} | label4 = Pronunciation | data4 =

| label5 = Born | data5 = {{#invoke:Separated entries|br 

  |1={{#if:|}}
  |2={{#invoke:person date|birth}}

|3={{#if:Lisbon, Lisbon District, Portugal|

Lisbon, Lisbon District, Portugal

}}

}}

| label6 = Died | data6 = {{#invoke:Separated entries|br 

 |1={{#invoke:person date|death}}

|2={{#if:Cascais, Lisbon District, Portugal|

Cascais, Lisbon District, Portugal

}}

}}

| label7 = {{#ifexpr: Template:Strfind short 

   | Manner |{{#if:|Manner|Cause}} }} of death

| data7 = {{#if:||}}

| label8 = Resting place | class8 = label | data8 = {{#invoke:Separated entries|br||}}

| label9 = Citizenship | data9 =

| label10 = Nationality | data10 = {{#if:|{{#if:{{#invoke:find country|main|string=Lisbon, Lisbon District, Portugal}}|{{#switch:{{#invoke:delink|delink|{{{nationality}}}}}| {{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Country2nationality||{{#invoke:find country|main|string={{#invoke:delink|delink|Lisbon, Lisbon District, Portugal}}}}|nocat=true}}|{{#invoke:delink|delink|{{{nationality}}}}}|{{#invoke:delink|delink|{{{nationality}}}}}}} = | {{#ifeq:{{#invoke:find country|main|string=Lisbon, Lisbon District, Portugal}}|England|British}} = | #default = {{{nationality}}}}}|{{{nationality}}}}}|}} | label11 = Political party | data11 = {{#switch:Social Democratic Party | = | Democrat | Democratic | Democrat = Democratic | Republican | United States Republican Party | Republican | Republican Party = Republican | Conservative Party | Conservative = Conservative | Labour Party | Labour = Labour | Conservative Party | Conservative = Conservative | Liberal Party | Liberal = Liberal | KMT | Kuomintang | KMT | KMT | Kuomintang | Kuomintang (KMT) | Kuomintang (KMT) = Kuomintang | DPP | DPP | Democratic Progressive Party = Democratic Progressive Party | #default = Social Democratic Party }}

| label12 = Other political
affiliations | data12 =

| label13 = Height | data13 = {{#if:|Template:Infobox person/height}}

| label14 = Spouse{{#if:|s|{{#invoke:Detect singular|pluralize|Template:Plainlist|likely=(s)|plural=s}}}} | data14 = Template:Plainlist

| label15 = Domestic partner{{#invoke:Detect singular|pluralize||likely=(s)|plural=s}} | data15 =

| label16 = Relations | data16 =

| label17 = Children | data17 = 5

| label18 = Parent{{#if:|{{#invoke:Detect singular|pluralize||likely=(s)|plural=s}}|{{#ifexpr:Template:Count > 1|s}}}} | data18 = {{#if:|{{{parents}}}|{{#invoke:list|unbulleted|{{#if:|{{{father}}} (father)}}|{{#if:|{{{mother}}} (mother)}}}}}}

| label19 = Relatives | data19 = Pedro IV of Portugal (great-great-grandfather)

| label20 = Residence{{#invoke:Detect singular|pluralize||likely=(s)|plural=s}} | class20 = {{#if:Template:Death date and ageCascais, Lisbon District, Portugal||label}} | data20 =

| label21 = Education | data21 =

| label22 = Alma mater | data22 = University of Lisbon

| label23 = Occupation | data23 = Journalist, newspaper administrator, founder of Impresa media group

| label24 = Profession | data24 =

| label25 = Known for | data25 =

| label26 = Salary | data26 =

| label27 = Cabinet | data27 =

| label28 = Committees | data28 =

| label29 = Portfolio | data29 =

| label30 = {{#if:|Civilian awards|Awards}} | data30 =

| label31 = {{{blank1}}} | data31 =

| label32 = {{{blank2}}} | data32 =

| label33 = {{{blank3}}} | data33 =

| label34 = {{{blank4}}} | data34 =

| label35 = {{{blank5}}} | data35 =

| label36 = Signature | data36 = {{#if:Assinatura Francisco Pinto Balsemão.svg|}}

| label37 = Website | data37 =

| label38 = Nickname{{#invoke:Detect singular|pluralize||likely=(s)|plural=s}} | data38 =

| header39 = {{#if:|Military service}}

| label40 = Allegiance | data40 =

| label41 = {{#if:||Branch/service}} | data41 =

| label42 = {{#if:||Years of service}} | data42 =

| label43 = {{#if:||Rank}} | data43 =

| label44 = {{#if:||Unit}} | data44 =

| label45 = Commands | data45 =

| label46 = {{#if:||Battles/wars}} | data46 =

| label47 = {{#if:|Military awards|Awards}} | data47 =

| label48 = {{{military_blank1}}} | data48 =

| label49 = {{{military_blank2}}} | data49 =

| label50 = {{{military_blank3}}} | data50 =

| label51 = {{{military_blank4}}} | data51 =

| label52 = {{{military_blank5}}} | data52 =

| data53 = | data54 = | data55 = | data56 = | data57 = | data58 = | belowstyle = border-top: 1px solid right;

| below =

{{#if:| As of {{{date}}}{{#if:|, {{{year}}}}}}}

{{#if:|Source: [{{{source}}}]}}

}}{{#if:|{{#ifeq:{{#ifeq:|no|yes}}|yes||}} }}{{#if:|{{#ifeq:{{#ifeq:|no|yes}}|yes||}} }}{{#if:|{{#if:||{{#ifeq:{{#ifeq:|no|yes}}|yes||}}}} }}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| regexp1 = 1blankname[%d]* | regexp2 = 1namedata[%d]* | regexp3 = 2blankname[%d]* | regexp4 = 2namedata[%d]* | regexp5 = 3blankname[%d]* | regexp6 = 3namedata[%d]* | regexp7 = 4blankname[%d]* | regexp8 = 4namedata[%d]* | regexp9 = 5blankname[%d]* | regexp10 = 5namedata[%d]* | allegiance | alma_mater | regexp11 = alongside[%d]* | alt | regexp12 = ambassador_from[%d]* | regexp13 = appointed[%d]* | regexp14 = appointer[%d]* | regexp15 = assembly[%d]* | awards | battles | battles_label | birth_date | birth_name | birth_place | birthname | regexp16 = blank[%d]* | bodyclass | branch | branch_label | cabinet | candidate | caption | categories | regexp17 = chancellor[%d]* | children | citizenship | regexp18 = co%-leader[%d]* | commands | committees | regexp19 = constituency[%d]* | regexp20 = constituency_AM[%d]* | regexp21 = constituency_MP[%d]* | regexp22 = convocation[%d]* | regexp23 = country[%d]* | regexp24 = data[%d]* | date | death_cause | death_date | death_manner | death_place | demo | regexp25 = deputy[%d]* | regexp26 = district[%d]* | education | election_date | embed | father | regexp28 = firstminister[%d]* | footnotes | regexp29 = governor[%d]* | regexp30 = governor_general[%d]* | regexp31 = governor%-general[%d]* | height | honorific_prefix | honorific-prefix | honorific_suffix | honorific-suffix | image | image name | image_name_alt | image_size | imagesize | image_upright | incumbent | regexp32 = jr/sr[%d]* | regexp33 = jr/sr and state[%d]* | known_for | regexp34 = leader[%d]* | regexp35 = legislature[%d]* | regexp36 = lieutenant[%d]* | regexp37 = lieutenant_governor[%d]* | mainwidth | regexp38 = majority[%d]* | regexp39 = majority_floor_leader[%d]* | regexp40 = majority_leader[%d]* | regexp41 = majorityleader[%d]* | mawards | regexp42 = military_blank[%d]* | regexp43 = military_data[%d]* | regexp44 = minister[%d]* | regexp45 = minister_from[%d]* | regexp46 = minority_floor_leader[%d]* | regexp47 = minority_leader[%d]* | regexp48 = minorityleader[%d]* | regexp49 = module[%d]* | regexp50 = monarch[%d]* | mother | name | nationality | native_name | native_name_lang | nickname | nocat | regexp51 = nominator[%d]* | nominee | occupation | regexp52 = office[%d]* | opponent | regexp53 = order[%d]* | otherparty | parents | regexp54 = parliament[%d]* | regexp55 = parliamentarygroup[%d]* | partner | party | party_election | portfolio | regexp56 = preceded[%d]* | regexp57 = preceding[%d]* | regexp58 = predecessor[%d]* | regexp59 = premier[%d]* | regexp60 = president[%d]* | regexp61 = primeminister[%d]* | regexp62 = prior_term[%d]* | profession | pronunciation | rank | rank_label | relations | relatives | residence | resting_place | resting_place_coordinates | restingplace | restingplacecoordinates | regexp63 = riding[%d]* | runningmate | salary | serviceyears | serviceyears_label | signature | signature_alt | signature_size | smallimage | smallimage_alt | source | speaker | speaker_office | spouse | spouses | regexp64 = state[%d]* | regexp65 = state_assembly[%d]* | regexp66 = state_delegate[%d]* | regexp67 = state_house[%d]* | regexp68 = state_legislature[%d]* | regexp69 = state_senate[%d]* | regexp70 = status[%d]* | regexp71 = suboffice[%d]* | regexp72 = subterm[%d]* | regexp73 = succeeded[%d]* | regexp74 = succeeding[%d]* | regexp75 = successor[%d]* | regexp76 = taoiseach[%d]* | regexp77 = term[%d]* | regexp78 = term_end[%d]* | regexp79 = term_label[%d]* | regexp80 = term_start[%d]* | regexp81 = termend[%d]* | regexp82 = termlabel[%d]* | regexp83 = termstart[%d]* | regexp84 = title[%d]* | unit | unit_label | regexp85 = vicegovernor[%d]* | regexp86 = vicepremier[%d]* | regexp87 = vicepresident[%d]* | regexp88 = viceprimeminister[%d]* | regexp89 = assuming[%d]* | website | width | year }}

Francisco José Pereira Pinto Balsemão ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}; 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.

Background

Francisco Pinto Balsemão was born in Lisbon on 1 September 1937,<ref name=nossiter /> the son of Henrique Patrício Pinto Balsemão and wife Maria Adelaide van Zeller de Castro Pereira, great-granddaughter of Pedro IV of Portugal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Career

Having earned a law degree from the University of Lisbon in 1960, Pinto Balsemão's pre-political career was in newspaper publishing.<ref name=nossiter /> After working as a journalist and then as an administrator of Diário Popular (the People's Daily in English) from 1963 to 1971, he founded the Expresso magazine in 1973.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was also the founder of Impresa media group.<ref name=psd />

Pinto Balsemão was a member of the Template:Ill from 1969 to 1973, under the Estado Novo regime.<ref name=sapo /> Along with Francisco Sá Carneiro, Joaquim Magalhães Mota, João Bosco Mota Amaral and others, he was a member of the "Liberal Wing", an unorganized group of politicians in favor of democratization.<ref name=sapo /> During his tenure in the National Assembly, he advocated against censorship and visited political prisoners.<ref name=nossiter /> Pinto Balsemão resigned from the National Assembly in 1973 following the departure of Francisco Sá Carneiro.<ref name=psd>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1974, shortly after the Carnation Revolution, Pinto Balsemão, together with Sá Carneiro and Magalhães Mota, helped to found the Social Democratic Party (PSD), of which he was member number 1.<ref name=sapo>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1975 he was elected to the Constituent Assembly,<ref name=psd /> which was charged with drafting a new constitution and served as an interim legislature. Pinto Balsemão was chosen as a vice-president of this body.<ref name=psd />

Following the victory of the Democratic Alliance (a coalition led by the PSD) in the 1979 and 1980 parliamentary elections, Pinto Balsemão was a cabinet minister under Prime Minister Francisco Sá Carneiro.<ref name=apnews />

Pinto Balsemão with Ronald Reagan in an Oval Office meeting, 1982

After Sá Carneiro was killed in an air accident on 4 December 1980, the Social Democratic Party chose Pinto Balsemão to succeed him as prime minister.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He took office on 9 January 1981.<ref name=sapo />

He had to cope with criticism within his own party, tension within the ruling coalition, and attacks from opposition parties.<ref name=apnews>Template:Cite news</ref> These factors contributed to his resignation in December 1982,<ref name=nossiter /> though he remained the head of a caretaker government,<ref name=nossiter /> leaving office on 9 June 1983.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He had served as president of the Social Democratic Party from 13 December 1980 to 27 February 1983.<ref name=psd />

After his political career, Pinto Balsemão returned to the Impresa group.<ref name=nossiter /> In 1992, he founded Sociedade Independente de Comunicação (SIC), the first Portuguese private television network.<ref name=nossiter /> He served as chairman of the European Publishers Council and led the European Institute for the Media.<ref name=apnews />

Pinto Balsemão was a member of Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group for over thirty years.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> From 2005, he was also a member of the Portuguese Council of State.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Personal life

In 1964, Pinto Balsemão married Maria Isabel de Lacerda Rebelo Pinto da Costa Lobo, also known as "Belicha".<ref name=oliveira>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=maxima>Template:Cite news</ref> The couple had two children, Mónica and Henrique.<ref name=oliveira />

His third child, Francisco Maria, was born in 1970, the product of an extramarital relationship with Isabel Maria Supico Pinto.<ref name=oliveira /> Pinto Balsemão initially refused to recognize paternity of his illegitimate child and the two did not meet until the late 1980s.<ref name=oliveira /> His wife, Belicha, also allegedly had an extramarital affair with television presenter Carlos Cruz, which was later confirmed in Cruz's autobiography.<ref name=maxima /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Pinto Balsemão's second marriage was to Maria Mercedes Aliu Presas, also known as "Tita", of Spanish descent.<ref name=maxima /> They were married in 1975, after Pinto Balsemão's divorce with his first wife was finalized.<ref name=maxima /> The couple had two children, Joana and Francisco Pedro.<ref name=maxima /> Pinto Balsemão referred to his second wife as the "queen mother" due to her personal influence.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She welcomed and integrated Francisco Maria into the family.<ref name=oliveira />

Pinto Balsemão died at his home in Cascais on 21 October 2025, at the age of 88.<ref name=nossiter>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Honours

National

  • Grand Cross of the Order of Christ (GCC, 8 June 1983)<ref name="OrdHonPor"/>
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry (GCIH, 5 January 2006)<ref name="OrdHonPor"/>
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Liberty (GCL, 25 April 2011)<ref name="OrdHonPor"/>
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Camões (GCCa, 10 March 2025)<ref name="OrdHonPor"/>
  • Grand Officer of the Order Merit (GOM, 17 October 1983)<ref name="OrdHonPor">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Foreign

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Commons category-inline 

 | name/{{#if:{{#invoke:ustring|match|1= 2934671|2=^nm}}
   | Template:Trim/
   | nm2934671/
   }}
 | {{#if: {{#property:P345}}
   | name/Template:First word/
   | find?q=%7B%7B%23if%3A+%0A++++++%7C+%7B%7B%7Bname%7D%7D%7D%0A++++++%7C+%5B%5B%3ATemplate%3APAGENAMEBASE%5D%5D%0A++++++%7D%7D&s=nm
   }}
 }}{{#if:  2934671  {{#property:P345}} | {{#switch: 
 | award | awards = awards Awards for | biography | bio = bio Biography for
 }}}} {{#if: 
 | {{{name}}}
 | Template:PAGENAMEBASE
 }}] at IMDb{{#if:  2934671{{#property:P345}}
 | Template:EditAtWikidata
 | Template:Main other

}}{{#switch:{{#invoke:string2|matchAny|^nm.........|^nm.......|nm|.........|source= 2934671|plain=false}} 

 | 1 | 3 =  Template:Main otherTemplate:Preview warning
 | 4 = Template:Main otherTemplate:Preview warning

}}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:IMDb name with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|showblankpositional=1| 1 | 2 | id | name | section }}

Template:S-start Template:S-off Template:Succession box Template:S-end

Template:PMPortugal1974 Template:Council of State of Portugal Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=Francisco_Pinto_Balsemão&oldid=788340"