Luís Montenegro is the new Prime Minister of Portugal

With all the votes counted, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa appointed Luís Montenegro, leader of the center-right Democratic Alliance (AD), as the next Prime Minister of Portugal.

Late on Wednesday night, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced that he "decided to nominate Dr. Luís Montenegro as Prime Minister", after he had presented "in a timely manner to the President of the Republic the organization and composition of the XXIV Constitutional Government".

According to a note published in the President's official webpage, Montenegro's appointment comes after the secretary general of the Socialist Party, Pedro Nuno Santos, "recognised and confirmed that he would be leader of the opposition".

After the nomination, Montenegro reacted to Marcelo's decision, stressing that the decision, even though "from the 20th to the 21st" was "important" and at a "late hour", given that he would have a meeting with the president of the European Commission and with the leaders of political parties that make up the European People's Party.

The president of the PSD justified that, due to this agenda, "it was unfeasible" to be nominated during the morning and, on the other hand, "it was useful to participate in these meetings already as prime minister-designate".

The outgoing Prime Minister, António Costa, congratulated Luís Montenegro on his appointment and assured that the "Government will naturally ensure the best collaboration in the transition of portfolios and the installation of the XXIV constitutional Government".

António Costa also wished Luís Montenegro "best wishes for greater success in governance, for the good of Portugal and the Portuguese."

Luís Montenegro confirmed that the new Government will be sworn in on April 2. The Prime Minister also explained that he will present the composition of the Government to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on March 28.

The new Prime Minister explained the urgency in the designation due to having a meeting scheduled for Thursday, in Brussels, with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and the leaders of the parties that make up the European family to which the PSD belongs, the European People's Party (EPP).

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Luís Filipe Montenegro Cardoso de Morais Esteves, 51 years old, was born in Porto, but has always lived in Espinho (Aveiro) and is a lawyer by profession.

Montenegro made his debut in parliament at the age of 29, in 2002, on the Aveiro list headed by Marques Mendes and when José Manuel Durão Barroso was president of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Prime Minister.

He served as a councilor in the Espinho City Council and he ran for mayor of the municipality in 2005 but was defeated by José Mota of the PS (Socialist Party). He never held any executive position.

After serving as deputy leader of the PSD, he was elected parliamentary leader following Pedro Passos Coelho's victory in the legislative elections in June 2011. He remained in this position until 2017, becoming the parliamentary leader with the longest tenure in the PSD.

It was during the period of the 'troika' - in January 2014 - that he said, "People's lives are not better, but the country's is much better," a statement that would later garner much criticism for him.

In December 2023, the Public Prosecutor's Office in Porto opened an inquiry into alleged tax benefits attributed to the house that he built in Espinho, a process still without developments, but for which the leader of the PSD said he did not feel "minimally constrained", ensuring that "everything is within the regularity".

Married with two children, sports is a passion that began in his youth, having played football and beach volleyball. During the summer, on school holidays, he worked as a lifeguard for several years, and currently, he plays golf.