The XXIII Constitutional Government of Portugal () was the 23rd government of the Third Portuguese Republic under the current Constitution, and had António Costa as the Prime Minister, in his third consecutive term. It was in office from 30 March 2022 to 2 April 2024 and was formed by members of the Socialist Party (PS).
It was the second PS government to have absolute majority of seats in the Legislature, after the first government of José Sócrates, between 2005 and 2009. It was composed of 17 ministers and 40 secretaries of state
Party breakdown Party breakdown of cabinet ministers by the end of the government's time in office: (Prime Minister not included) Socialist Party 10 Independents 7
Composition The government was initially composed of the Prime Minister and 17 ministries comprising ministers, secretaries, and sub-secretaries of state. On 3 January 2023, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing was split into the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry of Housing, increasing the number of ministries to 18. OfficeMinister Party Start of term End of term Prime Minister António Costa PS 30 March 20222 April 2024 Minister of the Presidency Mariana Vieira da Silva PS 30 March 20222 April 2024 Minister of Foreign Affairs João Gomes Cravinho Independent 30 March 20222 April 2024 Minister of National Defence Helena Carreiras Independent 30 March 20222 April 2024 Minister of Home Affairs José Luís Carneiro PS 30 March 20222 April 2024 Minister of Justice Catarina Sarmento e Castro Independent 30 March 20222 April 2024 Minister of Finance Fernando Medina PS 30 March 20222 April 2024 Minister in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister and for Parliamentary Affairs Ana Catarina Mendes PS 30 March 20222 April 2024 Minister of the Economy and Maritime Affairs António Costa Silva Independent 30 March 20222 April 2024 Minister of Culture Pedro Adão e Silva Independent 30 March 20222 April 2024 Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education Elvira Fortunato Independent 30 March 20222 April 2024 Minister of Education João Costa PS 30 March 20222 April 2024 Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security Ana Mendes Godinho PS 30 March 20222 April 2024 Minister of Health Marta Temido PS 30 March 202210 September 2022Manuel PizarroPS10 September 20222 April 2024 Minister of Environment and Climate Action Duarte Cordeiro PS 30 March 20222 April 2024Minister of Infrastructure and HousingPedro Nuno SantosPS30 March 20224 January 2023 Minister of Infrastructure João GalambaPS4 January 202313 November 2023 Minister of Housing Marina Gonçalves PS 4 January 20232 April 2024 Minister of Territorial Cohesion Ana Abrunhosa Independent 30 March 20222 April 2024 Minister of Agriculture and Food Maria do Céu Antunes PS 30 March 20222 April 2024
Events
Resignation of António Costa
On 7 November 2023, Portuguese prosecutors detained António Costa's chief of staff Vítor Escária and named the minister of Infrastructure João Galamba a formal suspect in an investigation into alleged corruption in lithium mining, green hydrogen and a data centre deals. Over 40 searches were carried out in several buildings, including Escária's office, the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Action.
Costa met with the President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and announced his resignation in a televised statement in the afternoon, saying that "the dignity of the functions of prime minister is not compatible with any suspicion about his integrity, his good conduct and even less with the suspicion of the practice of any criminal act".
On 9 November 2023, after meeting with the Council of State and talking with the political parties represented in the parliament, president Rebelo de Sousa announced snap legislative elections to be held on 10 March 2024. Because the 2024 government budget debate was still underway in the parliament and, by law, elections need to be held within 60 days of the dissolution of the parliament, president Rebelo de Sousa officially dissolved the parliament more than two months later, on 15 January 2024. On 2 April 2024, the new center-right minority government, led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, took office to succeed António Costa, resulting from the slim victory of the Democratic Alliance in the snap election.
Notes
References