The Minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, stated on Wednesday that Francisco Pinto Balsemão, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 88, was an “absolutely remarkable man,” emphasizing that the “country is poorer” for his loss.
“I worked closely, particularly with one of his daughters, and followed his life and career closely. An absolutely remarkable man. As I said, the country is poorer because he was, I would say, one of the leading figures of the last 50 years in Portugal,” he said to journalists.
Miguel Pinto Luz described Francisco Pinto Balsemão as a “man of unmatched cosmopolitanism, knowledgeable of the world” and “ahead of his time.”
“He disrupted paradigms, particularly regarding private television. He leaves behind an absolutely remarkable legacy. Above all, he was a father, a husband, a citizen, an entrepreneur, a journalist, as he often liked to say,” the minister stated.
As a politician, Miguel Pinto Luz highlighted that Pinto Balsemão “inspired” him. “I can say that when I was a member of the Social Democratic Youth (JSD), Dr. Francisco Pinto Balsemão endorsed some of my initial lists, and that naturally marked me. He was a man I saw as a reference within the PSD.”
He also extended his “heartfelt condolences” to the family and friends, as well as to the Impresa group.
Francisco Pinto Balsemão passed away at the onset of the evening on Tuesday, October 21st.
A statement explained that Pinto Balsemão died “of natural causes,” with his “final moments” being accompanied by family.
Francisco Pinto Balsemão died at dusk on Tuesday, October 21, at the age of 88. He was an exceptional figure in both politics and media. “Founder of democracy,” “one of the most striking personalities of the last sixty years,” as noted by both the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic. “Portugal will never forget him.”
