António Costa

His Excellency António Costa GCIH
Costa in 2025
President of the European Council
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 December 2024
Preceded by	Charles Michel
Prime Minister of Portugal
In office 26 November 2015 – 2 April 2024
President	Aníbal Cavaco Silva Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
Preceded by	Pedro Passos Coelho
Succeeded by	Luís Montenegro
Secretary-General of the Socialist Party
In office 22 November 2014 – 7 January 2024
President	Carlos César
Deputy	Ana Catarina Mendes José Luís Carneiro João Torres
Preceded by	António José Seguro
Succeeded by	Pedro Nuno Santos
Leader of the Opposition
In office 22 November 2014 – 26 November 2015
Prime Minister	Pedro Passos Coelho
Preceded by	António José Seguro
Succeeded by	Pedro Passos Coelho
Mayor of Lisbon
In office 1 August 2007 – 6 April 2015
Preceded by	Carmona Rodrigues
Succeeded by	Fernando Medina
Minister of Internal Administration
In office 12 March 2005 – 17 May 2007
Prime Minister	José Sócrates
Preceded by	Daniel Sanches
Succeeded by	Rui Pereira
Minister of Justice
In office 25 October 1999 – 6 April 2002
Prime Minister	António Guterres
Preceded by	José Vera Jardim
Succeeded by	Celeste Cardona
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
In office 27 November 1997 – 25 October 1999
Prime Minister	António Guterres
Preceded by	António Couto dos Santos
Succeeded by	Luís Marques Mendes
Member of the Assembly of the Republic
In office 23 October 2015 – 26 March 2024
Constituency	Lisbon
In office 5 April 2002 – 9 March 2005
Constituency	Leiria
In office 4 November 1991 – 26 October 1995
Constituency	Lisbon
Member of the European Parliament
In office 20 July 2004 – 11 March 2005
Constituency	Portugal
Personal details
Born	António Luís Santos da Costa (1961-07-17) 17 July 1961 (age 65) Lisbon, Portugal
Political party	Socialist Party (since 1975)
Height	1.66 m (5 ft 5 in)
Spouse(s)	Fernanda Tadeu ​ (m. 1987)​
Children	2
Mother	Maria Antónia Palla
Father	Orlando da Costa
Alma mater	University of Lisbon
Signature
Website	portugal.gov.pt/pm
Military service
Allegiance	Portugal
Branch/service	Portuguese Army

António Luís Santos da Costa GCIH (born 17 July 1961) is a Portuguese lawyer and politician who has been the President of the European Council since 2024. He was the 119th Prime Minister of Portugal from 26 November 2015 to 2 April 2024. He served as Mayor of Lisbon from 2007 to 2015. He was elected as Secretary-General of the Socialist Party in September 2014. His near-9 year tenure as prime minister is the longest of any officeholder in the Iberian Peninsula in the 21st century.

On 7 November 2023, Costa resigned after ongoing searches and arrests involving members of his Socialist government. This resignation was accepted by the president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a few hours later.

After his resignation, Costa was elected as President of the European Council.

Early life

Costa was born in 1961 in Lisbon, Portugal. He is the son of writer Orlando da Costa and journalist Maria Antónia Palla.

Costa graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon in the 1980s. He first entered politics when he was elected as a Socialist deputy to the municipal council. He later practiced law briefly from 1988, before entering politics full-time.

President of the European Council

In the aftermath of the 2024 European Parliament election, Costa was seen as the frontrunner candidate for the Presidency of the European Council. On 27 June 2024, Costa was elected as President of the European Council, one of the three most important leadership posts of the European Union, by the 27 EU member state leaders.

Personal life

In 1987, Costa married Fernanda Maria Gonçalves Tadeu, a teacher. The couple have a son and a daughter. Costa also holds an Overseas Citizenship of India.

References

Other websites

• Biography in the Portuguese Government site

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