Guterres, António

António Guterres

Prime Minister of Portugal (1995-2001)

Place and Date of Birth:

Lisbon (Portugal), April 30, 1949.

Education:

Electrotechnical Engineering Degree from the Instituto Superior Técnico of the Technical University of Lisbon (1971).

Professional Experience:

Guterres was founder and first President of the Portuguese Consumer Defense Association (1973-1974), Assistant Adviser to Minister Mario Soares (1974-1975), and Member of the Commission for European Integration (1976-1979). In addition, he served as Director of Strategic Development at the Investimentos e Participações Empresariais, S.A. firm. (IPE) from 1984 to 1985 and as an Advisor to its Board in 2002.

Political Career:

Guterres began his career in public service as the head of the Industrial Planning Division of the Cabinet in 1973.  He served as Member of the Assembly of the Republic for the Socialist Party from 1976 to 2001, during which time he served as President of the Parliamentary Commission for Economy and Finance and President of the Commission for Territory Administration, Local Power and Environment. In 1979 he was elected President of the Municipal Assembly of Fundão, where he served until 1995. He was a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg from 1981 to 1983 and was President of its Commission for Demography, Migrations and Refugees. From 1985 to 1986 he was Minister of Industry.

Guterres has remained active in the Socialist Party throughout his political career.  From 1986 to 1988 he was member of the National Secretariat of the Socialist Party and later became President of its Parliamentary Group, a position he held until 1991. In 1991 he was elected Member of the Council of State, and in 1992 he was elected Secretary General of the Socialist Party at the Party’s National Congress. Later in 1992, he was elected Vice-President of the Socialist International.

In October 1995 Guterres took office as Prime Minister of Portugal, and was re-elected in 1999. He held office until 2001. He has served as President of the Socialist International since 1999 and as advisor to the Board of the Caixa Geral Depósitos since 2003. Mr Guterres is the UN High Commissioner for Refugees since June 2005.

Other:

Guterres is the author of A Pensar em Portugal (1999).