Brussels, October 22, 2025 — The Portuguese Social Democratic Party (PSD) delegation in the European Parliament expressed profound sorrow today over the passing of former PSD leader and ex-prime minister Francisco Pinto Balsemão, recalling his courage, “entrepreneurial spirit, and service to the country.”
“The PSD delegation in the European Parliament expresses its profound sorrow for the passing of Francisco Pinto Balsemão and extends heartfelt condolences to the family,” stated the caucus in a note sent to the Lusa news agency.
Quoted in the note, the head of the social-democratic delegation in the European Parliament, Paulo Cunha, emphasized that “Francisco Pinto Balsemão, founder of the PSD and [former] Prime Minister of Portugal, is an unavoidable figure in recent Portuguese history.”
“His courage, unwavering defense of freedoms, frankness, entrepreneurial spirit, and service to the country are personal and character traits that have significantly influenced the context, past, present, and future of Portugal. He always left, in each era and circumstance of national life, the mark of his audacity and vision,” stated the MEP.
Recalling his business and political career, Paulo Cunha also highlighted “his commitment to the 1982 constitutional revision, which paved the way for Portugal’s accession to the EEC [European Economic Community, now the European Union].”
Francisco Pinto Balsemão, former PSD leader, ex-prime minister, and founder of Expresso and SIC, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 88.
The news of the death of PSD’s number one member was announced by the social-democratic president and prime minister, Luís Montenegro, during a national council meeting in Lisbon.
Balsemão founded, in 1973, the weekly newspaper Expresso during the dictatorship, SIC, the first private television in Portugal, in 1992, and the media group Impresa.
In 1974, after the April 25th revolution, he co-founded, with Francisco Sá Carneiro and Magalhães Mota, the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), later the Social Democratic Party PSD. He led two governments after Sá Carneiro’s death, between 1981 and 1983, and was, until now, a member of the Council of State, an advisory body to the President of the Republic.
