Tribute Ceremony to Francisco Pinto Balsemão, marking 40 years since the Seventh Constitutional Government took office, of which he was Prime Minister.
This Tuesday, Portugal lost one of the most remarkable personalities of the last sixty years. In politics, in society, in the affirmation of freedom of expression and the press.
The founder of Expresso and SIC, former prime minister and number one member of the PSD Francisco Pinto Balsemão He died this Tuesday, aged 88.
The news of the death was transmitted by the president of the PSD, Luis Montenegroduring the party’s National Council, with audible applause in the room. The Prime Minister announced that the Government intends to enact a national day of mourning on the date of the funeral of the 88-year-old former ruler.
Almost at the same time, in a statement, Impresa, the social media group he founded, reported that Francisco Pinto Balsemão died “of natural causes” and that “his last moments were accompanied by family“.
A lawyer by training, Pinto Balsemão was a lawyer, journalist and, equally, an active political leader, until he dedicated himself exclusively to business life, in the media sector. He was the founder, in 1973, of the weekly newspaper, still during the dictatorship, and of the first private television in Portugal, in 1992.
He was one of the founders, with Francisco Sá Carneirofrom the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), later Social Democratic Party PSD), in 1974, was, until today, its number one militantand was also a member of the Council of State, a consultative body of the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
He was deputy elected to the Constituent Assemblyfrom 1975 to 1976, and its vice-president, and to the Assembly of the Republic, in 1979, 1980 and 1985.
Francisco Pinto Balsemão in 1982
With the victory of the Democratic Alliance in the 1979 legislature, he made his debut in government, as Deputy Minister of State of the Prime Minister in the VI Constitutional Government (1980-1981), headed by Francisco Sá Carneiro.
With his death, in December 1980, in the tragic Camarate accidentPinto Balsemão would occupy the position of prime minister of the VII Constitutional Government (1981) and the VIII Constitutional Government (1981-1983).
He was a member of the State Council and the Commission for the Review of the Strategic Concept of National Defense. He was the only Portuguese with permanent member status. Bilderberg Club and its Steering Committee.
Visionary, pioneer
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousarecalled Francisco Pinto Balsemão as a “visionary, pioneer“, and “one of the most remarkable personalities of the last sixty years” and stated that “Portugal will never forget him”.
“Visionary, pioneer, creative, determined, feisty, democratsocial democrat, European and Atlanticisthas been in almost every fight from the mid-sixties to today. Portugal does not forget him. Portugal will never forget him”, reads one by the head of State published on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic on the Internet.
“Portugal lost today one of the most remarkable personalities of the last sixty years. In politics, in society, in the affirmation of freedom of expression and the press”, adds the note.
“In politics, it was Liberal Wing Deputyand, in it, co-author of the constitutional revision projects, press law, meeting and association law and religious freedom law, to change Portugal at the end of the sixties and beginning of the seventies“, says the note from the presidency.
“After the 25th of April, founder of the PPD, today PSD, Vice-President of the Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary, Governor, President of the Party and Prime Minister, during the constitutional review that put an end to the Revolutionary Councilwith the transition to full Democracy, longevity, State Councilor”, recalls the President of the Republic.
Francisco Pinto Balsemão was the first director of Expressountil 1979, the year in which succeeded by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousawho was a journalist at the time and a small shareholder in the newspaper.
The newspaper would be the basis for the creation of a media group, supported by the holding company Printed, SGPS, SAthrough which it entered the television market, after the liberalization of the audiovisual sector.
Pinto Balsemão’s journey is a testimony of service to journalism, business, politics and society, and leaves us a solid legacy of freedom of expression, commitment to modernization and independence of spiritsays one from the newspaper he founded.
The team, which between 2007 and 2011 was part of the Impresa group, sends heartfelt condolences to his wife, Mercedes, his children and the rest of his family, who, with disconcerting simplicity, welcomed us at the company’s headquarters, with a striking phrase: “welcome to this house, which is yours“.
