Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Excellency Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa GColTE GCIH ComSE
Portrait at Web Summit, 2017
20th President of Portugal
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 March 2016
Prime Minister	António Costa Luís Montenegro
Preceded by	Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Leader of the Opposition
In office 31 March 1996 – 1 May 1999
Prime Minister	António Guterres
Preceded by	Fernando Nogueira
Succeeded by	José Manuel Barroso
President of the Social Democratic Party
In office 31 March 1996 – 1 May 1999
Secretary-General	Rui Rio Carlos Horta e Costa António Capucho Artur Torres Pereira
Preceded by	Fernando Nogueira
Succeeded by	José Manuel Barroso
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
In office 12 June 1982 – 9 June 1983
Prime Minister	Francisco Pinto Balsemão
Preceded by	Fernando Amaral
Succeeded by	António de Almeida Santos
Secretary of State for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers
In office 4 September 1981 – 10 June 1982
Prime Minister	Francisco Pinto Balsemão
Preceded by	José Luís da Cruz Vilaça
Succeeded by	Leonor Beleza
Member of the Assembly of the Republic
In office 2 June 1975 – 2 April 1976
Constituency	Lisbon
Personal details
Born	Marcelo Nuno Duarte Rebelo de Sousa (1948-12-12) 12 December 1948 (age 76) Lisbon, Portugal
Political party	Social Democratic Party (1975–2015) Independent (since 2015)
Spouse	Ana Cristina da Mota Veiga ​ ​ (m. 1972; div. 1983)​
Domestic partner	Rita Amaral (1981–present)
Children	2
Relatives	Baltasar Rebelo de Sousa (father)
Residences	Belém Palace (official) Cascais (private)
Signature

Marcelo Nuno Duarte Rebelo de Sousa (born 12 December 1948) is a Portuguese politician who became the President of Portugal in 2016. Before becoming president, he was a professor, journalist, and political expert.

He was a member of the Social Democratic Party, but he paused his membership while serving as president. This is because the president is meant to represent all people in Portugal, not just one political party.

Early Life and Career

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was born in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. He was named after Marcelo Caetano, who was a friend of his father and the last prime minister of the Estado Novo government.

He studied law at the University of Lisbon and became an expert in constitutional law (the rules for how a country is run) and administrative law (the rules for government organizations). He earned his doctorate degree and taught law at the same university.

Getting into Politics

Marcelo started his career as a lawyer and journalist. He soon joined the Popular Democratic Party (which later became the Social Democratic Party). He was elected as a representative to the Assembly of the Republic, which is Portugal's parliament.

In 1976, he was part of the group that helped write Portugal's new constitution. A constitution is a very important document that sets out the basic laws and principles of a country.

Later, he served as the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. He also helped start the famous Portuguese newspaper Expresso. For many years, he was a well-known political expert on radio and television, where he would analyze politics and give "grades" to politicians.

In 1989, he ran for mayor of Lisbon. Although he didn't win, he earned a seat on the city council. During his campaign, he famously jumped into the Tagus River to show that the water was clean, even though some people said it was polluted.

Leader of the Social Democratic Party

From 1996 to 1999, Marcelo was the leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). He created a partnership with another party, the People's Party, to form a coalition called the Democratic Alliance.

A Famous TV Personality

President-elect Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa gives his victory speech on election night, 24 January 2016.

After leading the PSD, Marcelo became even more famous for his weekly political analysis show on the public TV station RTP. He later moved his popular show to the private TV station TVI. His opinions were watched by many people across Portugal.

In 2006, he was chosen to be a member of the Council of State, an important group that advises the president.

President of Portugal

On 24 January 2016, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was elected President of Portugal. He ran as an independent, meaning he was not officially tied to any political party for the election. He promised to bring people together and help the country heal from a difficult economic period.

In January 2021, he was re-elected for a second term with over 60% of the vote. He was the first candidate to win in every single one of Portugal's municipalities.

During his presidency, he has spoken about the need for Portugal to make up for its role in the Atlantic slave trade and its colonial past.

State Visits

As president, Marcelo has traveled to many countries to represent Portugal and meet with other world leaders. His first trip was to the Vatican City to meet Pope Francis. He has also visited Spain, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States, and many other nations.

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  First state visit as President of Portugal (Vatican, March 2016)

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  With Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, in Moscow, 2018

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  With Donald Trump, President of the United States, in Washington, D.C., 2018

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  With Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in Brasília, 2021

Health and Public Appearances

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa wearing a protective mask in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marcelo has had a few health issues while in office, but he has always recovered. He is known for being very active and often appears in public.

In March 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he asked parliament to declare a state of emergency. This was the first time in 46 years of democracy that Portugal had a nationwide state of emergency. He quarantined himself as a precaution after being near someone who might have had the virus, but he tested negative.

He has fainted a couple of times due to drops in blood pressure, but he quickly returned to his duties. He often praises Portugal's national health service for its excellent care.

Personal Life

In 1972, Marcelo married Ana Cristina da Mota Veiga. They have two children, a son named Nuno and a daughter named Sofia. The couple separated in 1980 and later divorced.

Since 1981, his partner has been Rita Amaral Cabral, who was once his student and later a fellow teacher at the University of Lisbon. They have a long-term relationship but live in separate homes.

Electoral History

Lisbon City Council election, 1989

Presidential election, 2016

Presidential election, 2021

Honours and Awards

As president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is the Grand Master of all Portuguese honorific orders. He has also received many awards and honours from other countries in recognition of his work to build good relationships with them.

Portuguese Honours

• Grand Collar of the Military Order of the Tower and Sword
• Commander of the Order of Saint James of the Sword
• Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry

Selected Foreign Honours

•  Spain Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
•  France Grand Cross of the National Order of the Legion of Honour
•  United Kingdom He has visited the United Kingdom.
•  Holy See Knight with the Collar of the Order of Pius IX
•  Italy Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
•  Brazil Grand Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross
•  Belgium Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold

See also

In Spanish: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa para niños