Carlos César
Encyclopedia
Carlos Manuel Martins do Vale César (born 30 October 1956 in Ponta Delgada
, Azores
) is a Portuguese politician and the current President of the Regional Government of the Portuguese
autonomous region of Azores
. He is also inherently a member of the Portuguese Council of State.
He began public life in the opposition to the Estado Novo, in the last years of the regimen, becoming a member of the Cooperativa Cultural Sextante, which was extinct by the National Assembly, in December 1972. In 1973, at 17 years of age, he became a member of the Comissão Dinamizadora da Comissão Democrática Eleitoral, in Ponta Delgada. On April 26, 1974 he founded the Associação de Estudantes do Liceu Antero de Quental, and, a month later, the Juventude Socialista of the Azores. He was a member of the first Secretariate elected to the Socialist Party (PS)
in Ponta Delgada, and was part of the delegation from the Azores in the First National Congress of the PS, participating in the party youth-wing, the Juventude Socialisto (JS).
In 1977, he studied Law in the Faculdade de Direito da Universidade in Lisbon, although he did not complete his graduation. During his period of studies, he also became involved in the Direcção da Associação Académica da Faculdade de Direito. While in Lisbon he worked as administrative coordinator in a local cooperative responsible for documentation and culture. During this time he continued as the national leader of the JS (to this day he retains a national honorary status in the organization). He was an adjunct to the Secretary of State for Public Administration during the II Constitutional Government.
His political career did not slow down, when he returned to the Azores: in January 1981 he entered to the Azorean Legislative Assembly. Shortly after, he became involved in the Direcção do Grupo Parlamentar of the PS, as well as various parliamentary commissions, as well as presiding over the commission on Economic Affairs. Between 1983 and 1985, he was elected as Regional Legislative Assembly's Vice-President, and took on the Presidency of PS Azores. He returned to national politics between 1987 and 1989, as a representative in the Assembly of the Republic. Once again returning to the Azores, he became a member of the Municipal Assembly of Ponta Delgada, as well as the President of the Civil Parish of Fajã de Baixo. In 1994 he once again obtained the Presidency of the PS Azores. In 1996, he won the elections for the Regional Legislative Assembly of the Azores, by a narrow margin. The PS, under his leadership, would contest the regional legislative elections in 2000, 2004 and 2008.
Ponta Delgada
Ponta Delgada is a city and municipality on the island of São Miguel in the archipelago of the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. It includes 44,403 residents in the urban area, and approximately 20,113 inhabitants in the three central parishes that comprise the historical city: São Pedro,...
, Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
) is a Portuguese politician and the current President of the Regional Government of the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
autonomous region of Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
. He is also inherently a member of the Portuguese Council of State.
Biography
He was born into a family with republican and democratic traditions and a history of participatory activism. His grandfather Manuel Augusto César was a social activist during the Portuguese First Republic, who edited the newspapers O Proletário, the weekly Federação Operária, the Protesto (the publication of the Centro Socialista Antero de Quental) and Protesto do Povo (another socialist publication). His civic knowledge, following the Carnation Revolution, was profoundly shaped by his brother Horácio do Vale César (also a journalist), and many of the socialist figures of the period, including Jaime Gama, Mário Mesquita and Medeiros Ferreira (all students of the school Liceu Nacional Antero de Quental).He began public life in the opposition to the Estado Novo, in the last years of the regimen, becoming a member of the Cooperativa Cultural Sextante, which was extinct by the National Assembly, in December 1972. In 1973, at 17 years of age, he became a member of the Comissão Dinamizadora da Comissão Democrática Eleitoral, in Ponta Delgada. On April 26, 1974 he founded the Associação de Estudantes do Liceu Antero de Quental, and, a month later, the Juventude Socialista of the Azores. He was a member of the first Secretariate elected to the Socialist Party (PS)
Socialist Party (Portugal)
The Socialist Party , abbreviated to PS, is a social-democratic political party in Portugal. It was founded on 19 April 1973 in the German city of Bad Münstereifel, by militants from Portuguese Socialist Action ....
in Ponta Delgada, and was part of the delegation from the Azores in the First National Congress of the PS, participating in the party youth-wing, the Juventude Socialisto (JS).
In 1977, he studied Law in the Faculdade de Direito da Universidade in Lisbon, although he did not complete his graduation. During his period of studies, he also became involved in the Direcção da Associação Académica da Faculdade de Direito. While in Lisbon he worked as administrative coordinator in a local cooperative responsible for documentation and culture. During this time he continued as the national leader of the JS (to this day he retains a national honorary status in the organization). He was an adjunct to the Secretary of State for Public Administration during the II Constitutional Government.
His political career did not slow down, when he returned to the Azores: in January 1981 he entered to the Azorean Legislative Assembly. Shortly after, he became involved in the Direcção do Grupo Parlamentar of the PS, as well as various parliamentary commissions, as well as presiding over the commission on Economic Affairs. Between 1983 and 1985, he was elected as Regional Legislative Assembly's Vice-President, and took on the Presidency of PS Azores. He returned to national politics between 1987 and 1989, as a representative in the Assembly of the Republic. Once again returning to the Azores, he became a member of the Municipal Assembly of Ponta Delgada, as well as the President of the Civil Parish of Fajã de Baixo. In 1994 he once again obtained the Presidency of the PS Azores. In 1996, he won the elections for the Regional Legislative Assembly of the Azores, by a narrow margin. The PS, under his leadership, would contest the regional legislative elections in 2000, 2004 and 2008.