Francisco Pinto Balsemão

Francisco José Pereira Pinto de Balsemão (Santa Isabel, Lisbon, September 1, 1937 – Cascais, October 21, 2025) was a well-known Portuguese journalist, businessman, and politician. He was one of the founders of the PSD – Social Democratic Party, Prime Minister of Portugal between January 1981 and June 1983, and president of his party from 1980 to 1983. Since 2005, he was a member of the Council of State. He held a law degree from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon and a doctorate. Honoris Causa Having graduated from the Universidade Nova de Lisboa and the Universidade da Beira Interior, Francisco Pinto Balsemão began his journalistic career in the 1960s. Popular DailyIn parallel with his work as a lawyer, he founded his own media project in 1973, inspired by the weekly magazines published in Anglo-Saxon countries. Thus, the weekly magazine was born. Express, which, in addition to playing an important role in the transition to democracy, would become one of the most prestigious titles in the Portuguese press, and is today the best-selling newspaper in the country. In 1992, Pinto Balsemão launched the first private television station in Portugal, SIC, which is the audience leader in Portugal. Express and SIC (which expanded its activities to cable television – 8 channels) would be the basis for the constitution of a media group, IMPRESA, listed on the Stock Exchange, where Francisco Pinto Balsemão was president and majority shareholder. Throughout his career in media, Pinto Balsemão was a member of the governing bodies of various organizations in the sector, having been, in particular, president of the EPC – European Publishers Council (1999-2014) and president of the Board of Directors of the EIM – European Institute for the Media (1990-1999). He was president of the Jury of the Pessoa Prize, considered one of the most important prizes in Portugal in the area of ​​arts and science. Among the various decorations he received throughout his life, the following stand out: in Portugal, the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ, the Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator and the Grand Cross of the Order of Liberty; in Spain, the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic; In Brazil, he received the Grand Cross of the National Order of the Southern Cross; in Italy, the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit; and in the Vatican, the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Pius IX. He also received several awards, including: Personality of the Year Award 1992, granted by the Foreign Press Association (1993); Businessman of the Year Award, by the Rotary Club of Lisbon (2002 and 2011); VII Rafael Calvo Serer Journalism Award, by the Fundación Diario Madrid (2007); Rainbow Award, by the ILGA Portugal Association (2007) and Mercury Prestige Award, by the Portuguese Confederation of Commerce and Services and the Lisbon School of Commerce (2011).