The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, today accepted the government proposal submitted by Prime Minister, António Costa, for the members of the 22nd Constitutional Government, which will have five new ministers, four of which are female.
These new ministers are Alexandra Leitão (Minister of State Modernization and Public Administration), Ana Mendes Godinho (Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security), Ana Abrunhosa (Minister of Territorial Cohesion), and Maria do Céu Albuquerque (Minister of Agriculture), joined by the new Minister of the Sea, Ricardo Serrão Santos.
"There is greater gender representation with 8 women as ministers and 11 male ministers," the government said in a press release. The government will have four ministers of state, reinforcing the central nucleus of the government and allowing António Costa and Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva to “fully cement” Portugal’s position in the European Union.
The new government will also have two new semi-related ministries: State Modernization and Public Administration (decentralization and human resources), and Planning, focused on completing the Portugal 2020 program goals, launching a new EU funding framework, and prospective planning and analysis roles within the state.
The new government have set out four strategic challenges ahead: climate action, demographics, inequalities, and digital transition. According to the Presidency of the Republic, the appointment and inauguration of the 22nd Constitutional Government is scheduled for next week, on a date to be determined, after the publication of the official figures of the election held on October 6th and the first meeting of the Assembly of the Republic.
In addition to Prime Minister António Costa, the Government be made up of the following members:
Minister of State, Economy and Digital Transition - Pedro Siza Vieira
Minister of State and Foreign Affairs - Augusto Santos Silva
Minister of State and Presidency - Mariana Vieira da Silva
Minister of State and Finance - Mário Centeno
Minister of National Defense - João Gomes Cravinho
Minister of Internal Affairs - Eduardo Cabrita
Minister of Justice - Francisca Van Dunen
Minister of State Modernization and Public Administration - Alexandra Leitão
Minister of Planning - Nelson Souza Minister of Culture - Graça Fonseca
Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education - Manuel Heitor
Minister of Education - Tiago Brandão Rodrigues
Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security - Ana Mendes Godinho
Minister of Health - Marta Temido
Minister of the Environment and Climate Action - João Pedro Matos Fernandes
Minister of Infrastructure and Housing - Pedro Nuno Santos
Minister for Territorial Cohesion - Ana Abrunhosa
Minister of Agriculture - Maria do Céu Albuquerque
Minister of the Sea - Ricardo Serrão Santos
The following Secretaries of State were also appointed:
State Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs - Duarte Cordeiro
Assistant Secretary of State for the Prime Minister - Tiago Antunes
Secretary of State of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers - André Moz Caldas
