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Manuela Ferreira Leite
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Ferreira Leite in 2009
Chancellor of the National Orders
Assumed office
20 July 2011
President Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
Preceded by João Bosco Mota Amaral
President of the Social Democratic Party
In office
20 June 2008 – 9 April 2010
Secretary-General Luís Marques Guedes
Preceded by Luís Filipe Menezes
Succeeded by Pedro Passos Coelho
Minister of Finance
In office
6 April 2002 – 17 July 2004
Prime Minister José Manuel Barroso
Preceded by Guilherme d'Oliveira Martins
Succeeded by Bagão Félix
Minister of Education
In office
7 December 1993 – 28 October 1995
Prime Minister Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Preceded by António Couto dos Santos
Succeeded by Eduardo Marçal Grilo
Secretary of State for the Budget
In office
5 January 1990 – 7 December 1993
Prime Minister Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Preceded by Rui Carp
Succeeded by Norberto Rosa
Member of the Assembly of the Republic
In office
15 October 2009 – 19 June 2011
Constituency Lisbon
In office
1 October 1995 – 17 July 2004
Constituency Évora (1995–1999)
Lisbon (1999–2004)
Personal details
Born
Maria Manuela Dias Ferreira

(1940-12-03) 3 December 1940 (age 84)
Lisbon, Portugal
Political party Social Democratic Party
Spouse Rui Leite (div.)
Children 3
Relatives José Dias Ferreira (great-grandfather)
Pedro Santana Lopes (cousin)
Alma mater Lisbon School of Economics and Management
Profession Economist
Awards Order of Christ Order of Prince Henry

Maria Manuela Dias Ferreira Leite (born 3 December 1940) is a Portuguese economist and a former politician. She was born in Lisbon, Portugal.

Manuela Ferreira Leite held important government jobs. She was the Minister of Education from 1993 to 1995. Later, she became the Minister of State and Finance from 2002 to 2004. She also led the Social Democratic Party from 2008 to 2010. Since 2011, she has been the Chancellor of the National Orders of Portugal.

Early Life and Family

Manuela Ferreira Leite grew up in Lisbon, Portugal. Her family had many famous lawyers. Her father, Carlos Eugénio Dias Ferreira, was a lawyer. Her mother, Julieta Teixeira de Carvalho, was an engineer. Her great-grandfather, José Dias Ferreira, was also a government minister.

Education and Career Highlights

Manuela Ferreira Leite studied at the University of Lisbon. She earned a degree in Finances from the ISEG – Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão. This school is well-known for economics and finance.

She held several key positions in the Portuguese government.

  • From 1993 to 1995, she was the Minister of Education. During this time, she worked on issues like university tuition fees.
  • From 2002 to 2004, she served as the Minister of State and Finances. In this role, she managed the country's money matters.

In 2006, she became a non-executive director at Banco Santander Totta, a Portuguese bank. She was also a member of the Council of State from 2006 to 2008. The President of Portugal chose her for this role.

Leading a Political Party

On May 31, 2008, Manuela Ferreira Leite was chosen to lead the Social Democratic Party (PSD). This is one of Portugal's main political parties. She led the party during the 2009 national elections.

Although her party gained more votes and seats, they did not win the election. The Socialist Party won instead. As the leader of the main opposition party, she was known as the Leader of the Opposition. She stepped down as party leader on April 9, 2010. Pedro Passos Coelho took over from her.

After leaving the PSD leadership, she stopped being active in party politics. However, she is still a member of the party. Today, she has a weekly TV show where she talks about politics and current events.

Awards and Honours

Manuela Ferreira Leite has received important awards from Portugal for her public service.

  • PRT Order of Prince Henry - Grand Cross BAR
    Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry
  • PRT Order of Christ - Grand Cross BAR
    Grand-Cross of the Order of Christ

These awards recognize her contributions to the country.

Personal Life

Manuela Ferreira Leite was married to Rui Leite, who was also an economist. They are now divorced. She has three children.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Manuela Ferreira Leite para niños

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