The two moments will take place in separate ceremonies, at the Palácio de Belém, in Lisbon. Under the terms of the Constitution, the President of the Republic is responsible for appointing and dismissing, upon proposal from the Government, the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the heads of the three military branches.
Vice Admiral Jorge Nobre de Sousa takes office this Friday as the new Chief of Staff of the Navy, succeeding Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, who will be decorated by the President of the Republic with the Grand Cross of the Order of Christ.
In the first, at 12 pm, Vice Admiral Jorge Manuel Nobre de Sousa will take office as Chief of the General Staff of the Navy (CEMA), being promoted to the rank of Admiral.
Nobre de Sousa directed the Joint Command for Military Operations
Jorge Manuel Nobre de Sousa assumed the position of 2nd Operational Commander of the Armed Forces in July 2022 and has until today headed the Joint Command for Military Operations.
Born in 1963, he entered the Naval Academy in 1981, and was promoted to midshipman in 1987.
Throughout his career, he was part of numerous missions, namely NATO, and held various roles, including deputy chief of staff of the Joint Command for Military Operations, naval commander, chief of staff of the Naval Command, served service in the Planning Division of the General Staff of the Navy and was also commander of the Marine Corps.
He has already received several decorations, having been awarded the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Avis in 2009, which is intended to reward high military services.
Nobre de Sousa succeeds Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo who, in a second ceremony following the inauguration of the new CEMA, by the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, with the Grand Cross of the Order of Christ.
The Military Order of Christ is intended to distinguish outstanding services provided to the country in the exercise of sovereign functions.
Marcelo thanked and praised the “very qualified performance” of Gouveia e Melo
In the note released by Belém on Tuesday, the President of the Republic thanked and praised the “very qualified performance” of the outgoing admiral, “as part of a brilliant career”.
Henrique Gouveia e Melo, who coordinated the team responsible for the national vaccination calendar against Covid-19, took office as Chief of the Navy General Staff on December 27, 2021 and expressed his unavailability for a second term.
On September 4, in an interview with RTP3, Gouveia e Melo left the possibility of running for president in the air by expressly refusing to “say no” to this possibility.
Under the terms of the Constitution, the President of the Republic is responsible for appointing and dismissing, upon proposal from the Government, the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the heads of the three military branches.
