Lebenslauf von José Manuel Barroso

Born in Lisbon on 23 March 1956
Married to Margarida Sousa Uva
Three children: Luis, Guilherme and Francisco

Academic career

  • Degree in law, with honours, from the Law Faculty of the University of Lisbon.
  • Diploma in European Studies, with honours, from the European University Institute, University of Geneva.
  • Master's degree in Political Science, with honours, from the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Geneva, with a thesis on "Le systeme politique portugais face a l'integration europeenne".
  • Internships and short courses at Columbia University (New York), Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.), the International University Institute (Luxembourg) and the European University Institute (Florence).
  • Successively, teaching assistant at the Law Faculty of the University of Lisbon, teaching assistant at the Department of Political Science, University of Geneva, and visiting professor at the Department of Government and School of Foreign Service (Center for German and European Studies), Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. (1996-1998). Head of the International Relations Department, Lusiada University (October 1995 – March 1999).
  • Scholarships from the Swiss Confederation, the Commission of the European Communities, the Volkswagenwerk Foundation, NATO and the Swiss National Fund for Scientific Research.
  • Founder of the University Association for European Studies in 1979.

Political career

  • President of the Academic Association of the Law Faculty, University of Lisbon (1975-1976).
  • Member of the European Movement since 1991, when the Portuguese section was relaunched.
  • Member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) since 1980; formerly member of the PSD's National Council, member of the National Policy Committee, co-director of the National Studies Bureau and Chairman of the International Relations Committee; elected President of the Party by the XXII Congress in May 1999, and re-elected three times.
  • Elected Member of Parliament six times consecutively since 1985, Chairman of the Portuguese Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee between 1995 and 1996.
  • State Secretary for Home Affairs in the X Constitutional Government, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and Minister for Foreign Affairs in the XI and XII Constitutional Governments.
  • Became Prime Minister in the XV Constitutional Government in April 2002.
  • Elected President of the European Commission in July 2004 and reelected in 2009.
  • Led and took part in a number of international missions, including in the self-determination process in East Timor and the peace process in Angola in 1990/1991, head of the International IDEA (Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, Stockholm) delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina in September 1996, and adviser to the UN for the Project for Peace Process in Africa (Tanzania), October 1997.
  • Member of various informal advisory groups to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, including the Secretary-General's Resource Group on the Democratic Republic of Congo.
  • Vice-President of the European People's Party from 1999 until 2002 and Vice-President of the Center Democrats International from 2001 to 2005.

Europe-related work while in Foreign Affairs

Besides European Council meetings, informal meetings of the Heads of State and Government, meetings of the Council (General Affairs) and informal meetings of Foreign 2 Ministers ("Gymnich"), the following should be mentioned: San Jose Ministerial Conferences, European Community/Rio Group meetings, inaugural conference for a Stability Pact for Europe, Review and Extension Conference for the Non-Proliferation Treaty and ministerial meetings of the Mediterranean Forum (five plus five).

During the first Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union (1992) coordinated EU Presidency delegation to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED, Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro), and Portuguese Presidency of WEU.

Signed on Portugal's behalf the Europe Agreements with Romania, Bulgaria, the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic (1993), the Treaty of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden to the European Union, in Corfu (June 1994) and the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Russia, in Corfu (1994).

Europe-related work while Prime Minister of Portugal

Participated in all European Union events requiring Portugal to be represented at the Head of State and Government level, in particular the European Councils. Key events include the signing of the Accession Treaties with Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, the accession ceremony for these 10 countries, meetings of the European Convention, the Intergovernmental Conference and the adoption of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.

Publications

  • A number of publications on political science, international relations and European Union issues, including "Sistema de Governo e Sistema Partidario" (co-authored), Lisbon, 1980; "Le systeme politique portugais face a l'integration europeenne", Lisbon and Lausanne, 1983; "Politica de Cooperacao", 1990; "A Politica Externa Portuguesa" 1994-1995; "Uma Certa Ideia de Europa", 1999; "Uma Ideia para Portugal", 2000, "Mudar de Modelo", 2002 and "Reformar: Dois Anos de Governo", 2004.
  • Published several articles on political science and constitutional law in various Portuguese and international collections, encyclopaedias and academic journals, including Analise Social, Polis, Il Politico, and the Dictionnaire International du Federalisme. Founder and first Director of the Revista de Ciencia Politica.

Decorations, prizes and distinctions

Holder of over twenty decorations, including Portugal's Gra-Cruz da Ordem Militar de Cristo in 1996; winner of the Casa da Imprensa prize in the area of politics in 1992; named Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in 1993; chosen Personality of the Year in 1991 and 2004 by the Foreign Press Association in Portugal; Honorary Degree from Roger Williams University, Rhode Island, 2005; given “Medalla de la Universidad de Alcala de Henares” and “Medalla de Oro de la Ciudad de Zamora”, Spain, 2005; Honorary Degree in Humanities from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., and in Political Science from the University of Genoa, Italy, 2006; Golden Medal: The Bell Celebration – Message to the United Europe, from the Ferdinan Martinengo Company, Slovakia, 2006; EFR-Business Week Award from Erasmus University Rotterdam, 2006; Honorary Degree in Law from Kobe University, Japan, April 2006; Honorary Doctorate in Social and Human Sciences from Candido Mendes University, Rio de Janeiro, June 2006; Honorary Citizen of Rio de Janeiro, June 2006; Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science, University of Edinburgh, November 2006; "European of the Year" award by European Voice newspaper, November 2006; awarded Honorary HEC diploma, Paris, December 2006. Honorary Degree from the Economics Faculty of the "La Sapienza" University of Rome, January 2007; Special Prize, Business Centre Club, Poland, February 2007; Gold Medal of the city of Lamego, Portugal, April 2007; Transatlantic Leadership Prize, European Institute, Washington DC, April 2007; Honorary Citizen of Delphi and Golden Medal of the "Amfiktyons", Delphi, Greece, July 2007;Academic Title EBAPE – FGV, for the relevant contribution and services towards the study and practice in Administration - Getulio Vargas Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, August 2007; Conde de Barcelona International Prize from the Conde de Barcelona Foundation, Barcelona, November 2007; Honorary doctorate at Warsaw School of Economics, Warsaw, November 2007. Honorary Medal and Honorary Diploma of the City of Nicosia, Nicosia, January 2008; Honorary Member, Academia Portuguesa da História, Lisbon, March 2008; State Medal "Stara Planina" I Degree, Bulgaria , March 2008; Doctor Honoris Causa degree at the Pontifical 3 Catholic University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, March 2008; "Prémio Rotary da Paz", Rotary International Distrito 1960 Portugal, Lisbon, April 2008; "Chave de Honra da Cidade de Lisboa", Lisbon, May 2008; Confraria Queijo S. Jorge, Acores, May 2008; Ciudadino Andino Honorifico, Lima, Peru, May 2008; "Transatlantic Business Award", American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union, Brussels, May 2008; Confraria vinho do Porto, Porto, June 2008; Honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, University of Liverpool, July 2008; "Prémio Política e Responsabilidade Social", Fundação Luso-Brasileira, Lisbon, October 2008; Honorary Degree of Doctor, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, November 2008. Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, First Class, Tallinn, February 2009; Medalla y la Insigna de Oro del Real instituto de Estudios Europeos, Madrid, March 2009; Doctor Honoris Causa, Tomas Bata University, Zlin, Czech Republic, April 2009; Gold Medal of the Hellenic Parliament, Athens, April 2009; Medal of Honour and Benefaction of the City of Athens, Athens, April 2009; European Excellence Award, by the Government Council of the Community of Madrid, May 2009; Honorary doctorate of the Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, May 2009; Prix European of the Year, The European Movement in Denmark, Copenhagen, May 2009; Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great, Vilnius, June 2009; Honorary doctorate of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh, USA, September 2009; Laureate of the Quadriga Prize 2009 - United for the Better, Berlin, October 2009; Collar of the Order "pro Merito Melitensi", the Order of Malta, Rome, May 2010; Doctor Honoris Causa, University Estácio de Sá, Rio de Janeiro, July 2010; Medal of Merit from the Federação das Associações Portuguesas e Luso-brasileiras, Brazil, July 2010; "Man of the Year 2009 of Central and Eastern Europe", Krynica, September 2010; Great Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste, Brussels, October 2010; Doctorate Honoris Causa, Łódź University, Poland, October 2010; Doctorate Honoris Causa, University of Geneva, October 2010; Doctorate Honoris Causa, University of Bucharest, November 2010; Golden Victoria "European of the Year 2010" award by the Union of German Magazine Publishers VDZ, Berlin, November 2010; Collar of the European Merit Foundation, Luxembourg, November 2010; Honorary Doctorate, Baku State University, Azerbaijan, January 2011; the "Steiger" Award 2011, Bochum, Germany, March 2011; Honorary Doctorate, Luiss Guido Carli University, Rome, March 2011; Honorary Doctorate, Ghent University, March 2011; Honorary Doctorate of Law from Auckland University, New Zealand, September 2011; Grand Cross of the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, Spain, November 2011; Honorary Doctorate from the Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland, December 2011; Honorary Doctorate from the Technical University of Lisbon, December 2011; Diamond award of Laurels of Abilities and Competence, Zabrze, Poland, January 2012; Honorary President of the Portuguese Industrial Association (AIP), Lisbon, February 2012; Honorary Doctorate from the University of Haifa, July 2012; Grand Cross of the National Order of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, October 2012; Grand Cross of the National Order of Benin, October 2012; Medalha do Primeiro Grau da Ordem de Amílcar Cabral (First Class Medal of the Order of Amílcar Cabral), Cape Verde, October 2012; Dragão de Honra, F. C. Porto, October 2012; Honorary Member of the Order of Engineers, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, November 2012; Grande-Colar do Mérito do Tribunal de Contas da União (Grand-Collar of Merit of the Court of Auditors), Brazil, January 2013.