The deputy prime minister of Portugal is the second in command to the prime minister, assuming the responsibilities of the premiership when the prime minister is absent or incapable of exercising power.

The office of deputy prime minister is currently vacant, having been last held by Paulo Portas from 2013 until 2015. As deputy head of the executive branch, the Deputy Prime Minister replaces the Prime Minister in the event of the latter's incapacity or death. The Constitution of Portugal provides for the existence of one or more deputy prime ministers. The deputy prime minister can accumulate the function of head of government with the portfolios of one or more ministries.

During Paulo Portas' term as deputy prime minister, the official residence was in Laranjeiras Palace, in Lisbon.

History

The first Deputy Prime Minister of Portugal was Abílio Passos e Sousa, for less than a month in August 1927, during the government of Óscar Carmona. After that, the office was left vacant until, during the V Provisional Government, led by Vasco Gonçalves, two Deputy Prime Ministers were appointed, José Teixeira Ribeiro and António Arnão Metello.

After that, the office of Deputy Prime Minister was usually attributed to the leader of the second largest party in case of a coalition government. That was the case with Diogo Freitas do Amaral within the Democratic Alliance from 1980 until 1983, Carlos Mota Pinto and Rui Machete during the Central Bloc from 1983 until 1985, and Paulo Portas within the PSD/CDS coalition from 2013 until 2015.

Designations

Deputy President of the Ministry: 11 August 1927 – 26 August 1927 Deputy Prime Minister: 8 August 1975 – 19 September 1975 Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and European Integration: 22 November 1978 – 1 August 1979 Deputy Prime Minister: 3 January 1980 – present

List of deputy prime ministers #PortraitNameTook officeLeft officePartyPrime Minister1Abílio Passos e Sousa(1881–1966)11 August 192726 August 1927Ind.Óscar Carmona–Vacant office26 August 19278 August 1975José Vicente de FreitasArtur Ivens FerrazDomingos OliveiraAntónio de Oliveira SalazarMarcelo CaetanoAdelino da Palma CarlosVasco Gonçalves2José Teixeira Ribeiro(1908–1997)8 August 197519 September 1975Ind.António Arnão Metello(1938–2008)Ind.–Vacant officeAs the first minister in the cabinet:- Henrique de Barros (1976–1978)- António de Almeida Santos (1978)- Carlos Costa Freitas (1978)19 September 197522 November 1978José Pinheiro de AzevedoMário SoaresAlfredo Nobre da Costa3Manuel Jacinto Nunes(1926–2014)22 November 19781 August 1979Ind.Carlos Mota Pinto–Vacant officeAs the first minister in the cabinet:- Manuel da Costa Braz (1979–1980)1 August 19793 January 1980Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo4Diogo Freitas do Amaral(1942–2019)3 January 19809 January 1981CDSFrancisco Sá CarneiroDiogo Freitas do Amaral–Vacant officeAs the first minister in the cabinet:- Basílio Horta (1981)9 January 19814 September 1981Francisco Pinto Balsemão4Diogo Freitas do Amaral(1942–2019)4 September 198125 February 1983CDS5Ricardo Bayão Horta(b. 1936)25 February 19839 June 1983CDS6Carlos Mota Pinto(1936–1985)9 June 198315 February 1985PSDMário Soares7Rui Machete(b. 1940)15 February 19856 November 1985PSD–Vacant officeAs the first minister in the cabinet:- Eurico de Melo (1985–1987)6 November 198517 August 1987Aníbal Cavaco Silva8Eurico de Melo(1925–2012)17 August 19875 January 1990PSD–Vacant officeAs the first minister in the cabinet:- Fernando Nogueira (1990–1995)- Luís Marques Mendes (1995)- António Vitorino (1995–1997)- José Sócrates (1997–1999)- Jaime Gama (1999–2002)- Manuela Ferreira Leite (2002–2004)- Álvaro Barreto (2004–2005)- António Costa (2005–2007)- Luís Amado (2007–2011)- Vítor Gaspar (2011–2013)- Maria Luís Albuquerque (2013)5 January 199024 July 2013António GuterresJosé Manuel Durão BarrosoPedro Santana LopesJosé SócratesPedro Passos Coelho9Paulo Portas(b. 1962)24 July 201326 November 2015CDS–Vacant officeAs the first minister in the cabinet:- Augusto Santos Silva (2015–2019)- Pedro Siza Vieira (2019–2022)- Mariana Vieira da Silva (2022–2024)- Paulo Rangel (2024–...)26 November 2015IncumbentAntónio CostaLuís Montenegro

By time in office RankNamePartyTime in officeDuration1Diogo Freitas do Amaral Centrist1980–1981; 1981–19832 years, 180 days2Eurico de Melo Social Democratic1987–19903Paulo Portas Centrist2013–20154Carlos Mota Pinto Social Democratic1983–19855Rui Machete Social Democratic19856Manuel Jacinto Nunes Independent1979–19807Ricardo Bayão Horta Centrist19838José Teixeira Ribeiro Independent1975António Arnão Metelo Independent197510Abílio Passos e Sousa Independent1927

External links Official website of the Deputy Prime Minister

See also Prime Minister of Portugal

References