José Sócrates facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Carvalho and the second or paternal family name is Pinto de Sousa.

Quick facts for kids José Sócrates GCIH
Sócrates in 2006

Prime Minister of Portugal
In office 12 March 2005 – 21 June 2011
President	Jorge Sampaio Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Preceded by	Pedro Santana Lopes
Succeeded by	Pedro Passos Coelho
Secretary-General of the Socialist Party
In office 27 September 2004 – 23 July 2011
President	António de Almeida Santos
Preceded by	Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues
Succeeded by	António José Seguro
Minister of Social Infrastructure
In office 23 January 2002 – 6 April 2002
Prime Minister	António Guterres
Preceded by	Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues
Succeeded by	Luís Valente de Oliveira
Minister of the Environment
In office 25 October 1999 – 6 April 2002
Prime Minister	António Guterres
Preceded by	Elisa Ferreira
Succeeded by	Isaltino Morais
Minister in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister
In office 25 November 1997 – 25 October 1999
Prime Minister	António Guterres
Preceded by	Jorge Coelho
Succeeded by	Armando Vara
Secretary of State Assistant to the Minister of the Environment
In office 30 October 1995 – 25 November 1997
Prime Minister	António Guterres
Preceded by	Joaquim Poças Martins António Taveira da Silva
Succeeded by	José Guerreiro
Member of the Assembly of the Republic
In office 13 August 1987 – 22 June 2011
Constituency	Castelo Branco

Personal details
Born	José Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa (1957-09-06) 6 September 1957 (age 67) Vilar de Maçada, Alijó, Portugal
Political party	Independent (2018–present)
Other political affiliations	Social Democratic Party (1974–1981) Socialist Party (1981–2018)
Spouse	Sofia Costa Pinto Fava (Divorced)
Children	2
Alma mater	Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra Lusíada University Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon Independente University University Institute of Lisbon
Signature

José Sócrates (born 6 September 1957) is a Portuguese politician. He served as the prime minister of Portugal from 2005 to 2011. During the second half of 2007, he was also the president of the Council of the European Union.

Sócrates grew up in the city of Covilhã. He joined the Socialist Party in 1981 and became a member of parliament in 1987. He joined the government in 1995 as Secretary of State for Environment. Later, he became Minister of Youth and Sports, helping to organize the UEFA Euro 2004 football tournament in Portugal. In 1999, he became Minister for Environment.

In 2004, José Sócrates was chosen as the leader of the Socialist Party. His party won the 2005 election, giving them a strong majority. During his time as prime minister, Portugal faced economic challenges. His government worked to improve public finances and make changes to how the country was run. He also played a role in international affairs, helping to finalize the Lisbon Treaty for the European Union.

In 2009, his party lost its majority in the election, but he continued as prime minister. Portugal's economic situation became more difficult, leading to a financial crisis. In 2011, Sócrates resigned after Parliament did not approve new economic measures. Portugal then asked for financial help from international organizations. After losing the 2011 election, he stepped down as the leader of the Socialist Party.

Biography

Early Life and Education

José Sócrates was born in Porto on 6 September 1957. He spent his childhood and teenage years in Covilhã. His parents were Fernando Pinto de Sousa and Maria Adelaide de Carvalho Monteiro. He had two younger siblings.

Sócrates studied in Covilhã until he was 18. In 1975, he went to Coimbra for higher education. He earned a degree in civil engineering in 1979. Later, he studied law and civil engineering further. In 2005, he earned an MBA degree. After being prime minister, he studied political science in Paris at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris, earning a master's degree in 2013.

Political Journey

José Sócrates was one of the founders of the youth branch of the PSD before joining the Socialist Party in 1981. He worked as a technical engineer for the Covilhã City Council. From 1987, he was elected as a member of the Portuguese Parliament, representing the Castelo Branco area.

He became a spokesperson for environmental issues for the Socialist Party from 1991 to 1995. In 1995, he joined the government as Secretary of State for Environment under Prime Minister António Guterres. Two years later, Sócrates became Minister for Youth and Sports, where he helped organize the UEFA Euro 2004 football championship in Portugal. In 1999, he became Minister for Environment.

After the 2002 elections, Sócrates became a member of the opposition in the Portuguese Parliament. In 2004, he was elected leader of the Socialist Party. Following his party's victory in the 2005 election, President Jorge Sampaio asked him to form a new government. He was elected for a second term as prime minister after the 2009 election. He also served as a member of the Portuguese Council of State.

Personal Life

Sócrates is divorced from Sofia Costa Pinto Fava, an engineer. They have two sons, José Miguel and Eduardo. He lives in Lisbon and has also lived in Ericeira. He is a supporter of the SL Benfica football club.

Prime Minister of Portugal

After the 2005 election, José Sócrates became prime minister on 12 March 2005. His first government was known as the XVII Constitutional Government.

He was re-elected in the 2009 election and began his second term on 26 October 2009. This was the XVIII Constitutional Government.

On 5 June 2011, after the 2011 election, the Social Democratic Party won. This led to Sócrates resigning as the leader of the Socialist Party and as prime minister.

Sócrates' Cabinet Members

Here are some of the ministers who served in José Sócrates' governments:

Ministry	Incumbent	Term
State and Internal Administration	António Costa	13 March 2005 – 17 May 2007
State and Internal Administration	Rui Pereira	17 May 2007 – 21 June 2011
State and Foreign Affairs	Diogo Freitas do Amaral	13 March 2005 – 3 July 2006
State and Foreign Affairs	Luís Amado	3 July 2006 – 21 June 2011
State and Finances	Luís Campos e Cunha	13 March – 21 July 2005
State and Finances	Fernando Teixeira dos Santos	21 July 2005 – 21 June 2011
Presidency	Pedro Silva Pereira	13 March 2005 – 21 June 2011
National Defence	Luís Amado	13 March 2005 – 3 July 2006
	Nuno Severiano Teixeira	3 July 2006 – 26 October 2009
	Augusto Santos Silva	2 October 2009 – 21 June 2011
Justice	Alberto Costa	13 March 2005 – 26 October 2009
Justice	Alberto Martins	26 October 2009 – 21 June 2011
Environment	Francisco Nunes Correia	13 March 2005 – 26 October 2009
Environment	Dulce Álvaro Pássaro	26 October 2009 – 21 June 2011
Economy, Innovation and Development	Manuel Pinho	13 March 2005 – 2 July 2009
	Fernando Teixeira dos Santos	2 July – 26 October 2009
	José Vieira da Silva	26 October 2009 – 21 June 2011
Agriculture	Jaime Silva	13 March 2005 – 26 October 2009
Agriculture	António Soares Serrano	26 October 2009 – 21 June 2011
Public Works and Communications	Mário Lino	13 March 2005 – 26 October 2009
Public Works and Communications	António Augusto Mendonça	26 October 2009 – 21 June 2011
Labour and Social Solidarity	José Vieira da Silva	13 March 2005 – 26 October 2009
Labour and Social Solidarity	Maria Helena André	26 October 2009 – 21 June 2011
Health	António Correia de Campos	13 March 2005 – 30 January 2008
Health	Ana Jorge	30 January 2008 – 21 June 2011
Education	Maria de Lurdes Rodrigues	13 March 2005 – 26 October 2009
Education	Isabel Alçada	26 October 2009 – 21 June 2011
Science, Technology and High Education	Mariano Gago	13 March 2005 – 21 June 2011
Culture	Isabel Pires de Lima	13 March 2005 – 30 January 2008
	José António Pinto Ribeiro	30 January 2008 – 26 October 2009
	Gabriela Canavilhas	26 October 2009 – 21 June 2011
Parliamentary Affairs	Augusto Santos Silva	13 March 2005 – 26 October 2009
Parliamentary Affairs	Jorge Lacão	26 October 2009 – 21 June 2011

Major Policies and Initiatives

Administrative Reforms

José Sócrates and President Dilma Rousseff in 2011

Sócrates' government worked to make the public sector more efficient. They aimed to reduce bureaucracy for citizens and businesses. Programs like "SIMPLEX" helped simplify administrative and legal processes. The government also improved the welfare system and changed retirement rules. Portugal's public administration became more modern, using information technology, which was praised by the European Commission.

Technological Plan

Chris Dedicoat, Helder Antunes, and Sócrates at the 2008 Cisco Portugal Official Inauguration.

A key policy was the "Technological Plan," designed to make Portugal more competitive. It focused on knowledge, technology, and innovation. One notable project was the "Magalhães" netbook, a low-cost computer for children, assembled by a Portuguese company. This plan helped Portugal improve its innovation ranking in Europe.

Educational Reforms

The government put more resources into education. They improved professional technical education programs. They also provided more financial support for students and introduced systematic evaluations for schools and teachers. The pan-European Bologna Process, which helps make higher education degrees more similar across Europe, was fully put into practice in Portugal.

A program called "Novas Oportunidades" (New Opportunities) was created for adults who wanted to get higher education qualifications based on their life experience, without going back to traditional school. This aimed to improve the education levels of adults in Portugal.

According to the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Portuguese students showed significant improvement in reading, mathematics, and science skills during this period.

Transportation Developments

Sócrates speaking in the ceremonial opening of a new railway line, on 27 March 2010.

Prime Minister Sócrates' government supported building new transportation infrastructure. This included plans for a new airport for Lisbon and a high-speed rail network. After studying different locations, the government chose Alcochete as the best site for the new Lisbon airport.

Other Policies

In 2010, Same-sex marriage in Portugal was made legal. Also, in 2009, a law was passed to make the rights of fathers and mothers equal. The government also increased the police force and provided new equipment to help reduce crime rates. Various measures were also put in place to help families, young people, and pensioners.

Presidency of the Council of the European Union

José Sócrates, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša during the EU-Brazil conference in Lisbon 2007

As prime minister, José Sócrates led the presidency of the Council of the European Union from July to December 2007. During this time, he focused on strengthening relations between the EU and countries like Brazil and the African Union. A major achievement was the approval of the Treaty of Lisbon, which updated how the European Union works.

Economic Challenges

From 2005 to 2010, Portugal faced growing economic difficulties. The country experienced slow economic growth and high unemployment. By the late 2000s, a debt crisis in Europe led to large government deficits and even higher unemployment in Portugal.

In September 2010, the government announced new measures to reduce its budget deficit, including tax increases and salary cuts for public workers. These steps were taken to address the country's financial problems.

On 6 April 2011, after resigning as prime minister, Sócrates announced that Portugal would need financial help from the IMF and the European Financial Stability Facility. This was a difficult time for the country's economy.

Government Resignation

On 23 March 2011, Sócrates resigned as prime minister. This happened after Parliament rejected a new set of economic measures proposed by his government. He had stated that he would resign if the measures were not approved. This led to a new election being held on 5 June 2011.

After his party lost the 2011 election, José Sócrates resigned from his position as Secretary-General of the Socialist Party.

Electoral History

PS Leadership Election, 2004

e•d {{{2}}}
Candidate		Votes	%
	José Sócrates	18,432	78.6
	Manuel Alegre	3,903	16.7
	João Soares	927	4.0
Blank/Invalid ballots		175	0.7
Turnout		23,437
Source: Resultados

Legislative Election, 2005

e•d {{{2}}}
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	Seats	+/−
	PS	José Sócrates	2,588,312	45.0	121	+25
	PSD	Pedro Santana Lopes	1,653,425	28.8	75	–30
	CDU	Jerónimo de Sousa	433,369	7.5	14	+2
	CDS–PP	Paulo Portas	416,415	7.3	12	–2
	BE	Francisco Louçã	364,971	6.4	8	+5
	Other parties		122,127	2.1	0	±0
Blank/Invalid ballots			169,052	2.9	–	–
Turnout			5,747,834	64.26	230	±0
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

Legislative Election, 2009

e•d {{{2}}}
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	Seats	+/−
	PS	José Sócrates	2,077,238	36.6	97	–24
	PSD	Manuela Ferreira Leite	1,653,665	29.1	81	+6
	CDS–PP	Paulo Portas	592,778	10.4	21	+9
	BE	Francisco Louçã	557,306	9.8	16	+8
	CDU	Jerónimo de Sousa	446,279	7.9	15	+1
	Other parties		178,012	3.1	0	±0
Blank/Invalid ballots			175,980	3.1	–	–
Turnout			5,681,258	59.68	230	±0
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

Legislative Election, 2011

e•d {{{2}}}
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	Seats	+/−
	PSD	Pedro Passos Coelho	2,159,181	38.7	108	+27
	PS	José Sócrates	1,566,347	28.0	74	–23
	CDS–PP	Paulo Portas	653,888	11.7	24	+3
	CDU	Jerónimo de Sousa	441,147	7.9	16	+1
	BE	Francisco Louçã	288,923	5.2	8	–8
	PCTP/MRPP	Garcia Pereira	62,610	1.1	0	±0
	PAN	Paulo Borges	57,995	1.0	0	new
	Other parties		126,521	2.3	0	±0
Blank/Invalid ballots			228,017	4.1	–	–
Turnout			5,585,054	58.03	230	±0
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

Images for kids

Sócrates in 2006
José Sócrates' signature