António Cardoso e Cunha facts for kids

António José Baptista Cardoso e Cunha (born January 28, 1933 – died January 24, 2021) was an important politician from Portugal. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). He served as a government minister in the 1970s and 1980s. From 1986 to 1992, he became Portugal's very first European Commissioner. This means he was a top official representing Portugal in the European Union's main executive body.

Early Life and Education

António Cardoso e Cunha was born in Leiria, Portugal. He went to the University of Lisbon to study. After his studies, he worked as a chemical engineer. He also gained experience in business administration.

Political Career in Portugal

Cardoso e Cunha was elected to the Assembly of the Republic in 1978. This is like Portugal's parliament. In September 1978, he became the State Secretary for Foreign Trade. This was a junior minister role in the government led by Alfredo Nobre da Costa.

Later, in November 1978, the new Prime Minister Carlos Mota Pinto appointed him to another role. He became the State Secretary for Industrial Renewal. From 1980 to 1981, Cardoso e Cunha served as the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries. He worked in the governments of Francisco Sá Carneiro and Francisco Pinto Balsemão.

Role as European Commissioner

Portugal joined the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1986. The EEC was a group of European countries working together, which later became the European Union. António Cardoso e Cunha was chosen by the Portuguese government to be Portugal's first member of the European Commission. This was a very important job.

He joined the first Delors Commission. There, he worked as the Commissioner for Fisheries. This meant he was in charge of policies related to fishing and sea affairs for all member countries. In 1989, he was appointed to the second Delors Commission. His new roles included Commissioner for Energy, Euratom, small businesses, and also staff and translation. He continued in these roles until the Commission's term ended in 1993.

Later Career and Leadership

After his time as a European Commissioner, Cardoso e Cunha took on new challenges. He was appointed as the first commissioner for Expo '98. This was a big world's fair held in Lisbon, Portugal. He left this role in 1997 after a change in the Portuguese government.

After that, he became the president of TAP Air Portugal. This is Portugal's state-owned airline. He led the airline until 2004.

See also

In Spanish: António Cardoso e Cunha para niños