Maria Luís Albuquerque facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maria Luís Albuquerque
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Official portrait, 2024
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| European Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 1 December 2024 |
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| President | Ursula von der Leyen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Mairead McGuinness | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister of Finance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 2 July 2013 – 26 November 2015 |
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| Prime Minister | Pedro Passos Coelho | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Vítor Gaspar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Mário Centeno | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
Maria Luís Casanova Morgado Dias
16 September 1967 Braga, Portugal |
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| Political party | Social Democratic Party | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | António Albuquerque | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Lusíada University Technical University of Lisbon |
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Maria Luís Casanova Morgado Dias de Albuquerque (born 16 September 1967) is an important politician from Portugal. She is currently a top official in the European Union, helping with money matters. Before that, she was Portugal's Minister of Finance from 2013 to 2015.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Maria Luís Albuquerque is married and has three children. She studied economics at Lusíada University in Lisbon, graduating in 1991. Later, in 1997, she earned a Master's degree in Monetary and Financial Economics. This shows her strong background in understanding how money and economies work.
Early Career Steps
Before becoming a well-known politician, Maria Luís Albuquerque worked in several important financial roles.
- From 1996 to 1999, she worked at the Directorate General of Treasury.
- She was also an advisor at the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Finance.
- Between 2001 and 2007, she managed finances for REFER, a public company that handles railway infrastructure.
- From 2007 to 2011, she led the department that managed Portugal's national debt.
- She also taught at Lusíada University from 1991 to 2006, sharing her knowledge with students.
Political Journey
Maria Luís Albuquerque's political career began with important roles in the Portuguese government.
Becoming a Secretary of State
In 2011, she became the Secretary of State for the Treasury and Finance. She held this position until 2012. After that, she served as the Secretary of State for the Treasury until June 2013. In these roles, she worked closely with the Minister of Finance. She also represented Portugal in important European meetings about finance.
Serving as Minister of Finance (2013–2015)
In 2013, Maria Luís Albuquerque was appointed Portugal's Minister of Finance. This was a very important job, as she was only the second woman to hold this position in Portugal's history.
Key Actions as Minister
As Minister of Finance, she helped guide Portugal through a challenging economic time.
- She supported a plan to reform the country's economy. This plan was agreed upon with countries that had lent money to Portugal.
- In 2015, she announced that Portugal would repay its loans from the International Monetary Fund early. This was a sign that Portugal's economy was getting stronger.
- Portugal's economy was growing again after a period of economic difficulty.
- She also helped strengthen Portugal's bank resolution fund. This fund helps protect banks and their customers.
- In 2014, she played a key role in rescuing a large Portuguese bank, Banco Espírito Santo. This involved splitting the bank into a new, healthy bank and a "bad bank" for old debts.
European Commission Consideration
After the 2014 European elections, there was talk that Maria Luís Albuquerque might become Portugal's representative in the European Commission. This is a very high-level position in the European Union. However, another politician, Carlos Moedas, was chosen for the role instead.
Life After Being Minister
After the national elections in 2015, Maria Luís Albuquerque left her role as Minister of Finance. However, she continued to serve as a member of parliament until 2019.
Speaking Out on Banking
In 2016, she wrote an article about Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD), Portugal's largest state-owned bank. She pointed out that the bank had given out large loans without enough guarantees. Soon after, the Portuguese government ordered an independent review of CGD.
European Securities and Markets Authority
In 2021, Maria Luís Albuquerque was a candidate to lead the European Securities and Markets Authority. This organization helps make sure financial markets in Europe are fair and stable. She was not chosen for the role, but it showed her continued involvement in European finance.
Other Important Activities
Maria Luís Albuquerque has also been involved in several international organizations and company boards.
International Organizations
- She was a member of the board of governors for the African Development Bank from 2013 to 2015.
- She also served on the board of governors for the European Stability Mechanism during the same period.
- From 2013 to 2015, she was a governor for the European Investment Bank.
Corporate Boards
- Since 2022, she has been an independent director on the board of Morgan Stanley Europe.
- From 2016 to 2021, she was an independent director for Arrow Global.
See also
In Spanish: Maria Luís Albuquerque para niños
