The list of state secretaries released on the Presidency of the Republic’s website confirms that the structure of the ministry, still led by Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, remains unchanged. José Maria Brandão de Brito will continue as Secretary of State for the Budget, Cláudia Reis Duarte remains Secretary of State for Fiscal Affairs, João Silva Lopes holds the position in the Treasury and Finance, and Marisa Garrido maintains her role in Public Administration.
Before taking on the role of Secretary of State for the Budget, José Maria Brandão Brito served as the chief economist at Millennium bcp, responsible for the Directorate of Economic Studies, Cryptocurrencies, and Sustainability. Holding a doctorate in economics, he worked at the Bank of Portugal from 2001 to 2006.
Cláudia Reis Duarte, a lawyer, continues as Secretary of State for Fiscal Affairs. Educated in law with a postgraduate degree in Taxation, she was a university lecturer teaching Corporate Tax and Tax Litigation and also worked as a consultant at Uría Menéndez – Proença de Carvalho, where she specialized in Tax Law, particularly in tax litigation.
João Silva Lopes continues as Secretary of State for Treasury and Finance. Holding a law degree and a postgraduate degree in management, he was appointed in 2013 as a technical expert in the office of the Minister for the Environment, Territorial Planning, and Energy. His career includes roles as a lawyer with M&A – Albergaria Silva & Associados (2006-2013) and tax consultant at Deloitte (2002 to 2003).
Marisa Garrido continues to lead the Secretariat of State for Public Administration. With a degree in business management, she was the vice-president of IAPMEI, director of People and Culture, and a member of the Transformation Committee and the Ethics Commission at CTT Group (2020 to 2023). Additionally, she was part of the Management Committee of DIA Portugal and served as director of Human Resources at RTP (2008 to 2014), among other roles.
In a statement on the Presidency of the Republic’s website, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced that he received and accepted the proposal for the slate of state secretaries from the Prime Minister today.
The second government led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro will feature 16 ministries, one fewer than its predecessor, retaining 13 of the 17 ministers from the outgoing administration.
The inauguration of the XXV Constitutional Government occurred today, 18 days post-election, marking the swiftest government formation process during Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s presidential terms. The swearing-in ceremony for the state secretaries is scheduled for 12:00 on Friday.
