Mário Soares

Mário Soares is a Politician Portuguese born the December 7th 1924 with Lisbon. Its complete name is Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares .

Graduate of history, philosophy and right of the university of Lisbon, it becomes teaching of university in 1957. But, it is stopped several times because of its activities of opponents to the dictatorial mode of Salazar. It thus took part in the Movement for the national unit against the Fascisme and the Movement for the democratic unit.

In 1968, it is stopped by the secret police of mode (PIDE) and a military tribunal condemns it to be banished in the Portuguese colony of São Tomé in the Golfe of Guinea. Then, it is exiled in 1970 and settles in France, where it teaches in the universities of Vincennes (Paris 8), the Sorbonne and Rennes. It joined a Portuguese movement in exile there, the Portuguese socialist Action, which becomes the Socialist party the April 19th 1973. Soares is elected by it secretary-general.

May 1st 1974, after the Revolution of the eyelets of the April 25th, it returns from its exile to Paris and is accommodated with others exiled as hero.

Within the provisional government directed by the Movement of armed forces (MFA), Soares is overseas Minister for the negotiations, charged to organize the independence of the colonies of the Portuguese empire.

However, the MFA is shown to make alliance with the Portuguese Communist party to take the control of the government as a whole. The Prime Minister, Vasco back Santos Gonçalves, and two generals (Francisco da Costa Gums and Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho) try to seize the power. To them demonstrations and strikes in the preserving north of the country are opposed; Soares and the Socialists oppose to the Communists, and the MFA. In September 1975, Gonçalves is constrained with the resignation.

Soares is then named Foreign Minister in 1975 and the first democratic elections take place in April 1976. The Socialists gaining the relative majority of the seats to the Parliament, Soares becomes the Prime Minister at the time of the first two constitutional governments (1976 to 1978). However, because of the hostility between Socialists and Communists, it controls without absolute majority. He resigns in 1978.

Between 1978 and 1983, several conservative governments until 1983 follow one another. Soares directs the ninth government constitutional until in 1985. It is him which negotiates the conditions of membership of the Portugal in the European Economic community.

It achieves two mandates like president of Portugal of 1986 with 1996. Soares has been the first chief of Civil statue for sixty years. In this role especially turned towards the ceremonies, Soares promotes the human rights in Portugal and in the world. It takes its retirement in 1996.

In 1999, nevertheless, it directs the socialist list to the European election and is elected appointed with the the European Parliament and is re-elected in 2004 among the 12 socialist deputies. Currently, he is Member of the Commission of the foreign affairs, the human rights, common safety and the defense policy of the European Parliament.

In 2005, he announces that he will be the candidate of the PS to the presidential election of 2006, thus thwarting the forecasts which supported old the European Commissioner Antonio Vitorino. He faces inter alia candidates, old a preserving Prime Minister Anibal Cavaco Silva. It is finally the latter which will be elected president with the first turn, because of division of the left pulled by the candidature of Soares.

He is honorary member of the Club of Rome and member of the High council of the Francophonie.

He is Docteur Honoris Causa of the University Rennes 2 High Brittany

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