“Historic deputy, State Secretary, and Vice-President of Parliament leaves a mark of humanism, assertiveness, and personal elevation in our democracy that all recognize,” reads a post on the social media account of the Assembly of the Republic.
The former CDS-PP deputy passed away at the age of 56, party sources told Lusa.
The news of Teresa Caeiro’s death was reported Thursday night by the newspaper Expresso.
João Almeida, a CDS-PP deputy, confirmed Teresa Caeiro’s death during a commentary segment on the SIC Notícias channel Thursday night: “She always fought for social causes, she is a great friend who has passed. I pay tribute to Teresa, which is more than deserved,” he stressed.
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, highlighted in a message published on the Presidency’s page Thursday night that “Teresa Caeiro leaves a great longing for her contribution to the service of the country and her always courteous manner,” lamenting “deeply the premature passing.”
“At this moment of loss, the President of the Republic sends to the family and friends the most heartfelt condolences,” the message reads.
The leader of the CDS-PP parliamentary group, Paulo Núncio, recalled that Teresa Caeiro was an “extraordinarily generous” person who always served political roles with immense dedication, civic sense, and public service.
“Also known as Tegui, she leaves many saudades. She dedicated a large part of her life to the public cause (…). Despite being politically coherent, she was highly respected by all political spectrums, by all parties. She deserves to be remembered as someone who did well for Portugal and served with great generosity,” Paulo Núncio emphasized to the Lusa agency.
Former President of the Assembly of the Republic Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues also expressed to Lusa being shocked by the news of the death of “a friend.”
“[She was] A vice-president who always honored Parliament, sending a hug to all her family. Farewell, Teresa,” noted the socialist, who was leader of the Assembly of the Republic when Teresa Caeiro held the vice-presidency.
Having graduated in Law from the University of Lisbon, by the late 1990s, the CDS-PP leader Paulo Portas called Teresa Caeiro to serve as the legal advisor for the parliamentary group of the Christian Democrats in the Assembly of the Republic, later becoming chief of staff of the same parliamentary group, according to her biography.
In 2002, she was elected as a deputy for the first time, and in the same year, she was appointed as the civil governor of Lisbon.
She joined the government in 2003, led by Durão Barroso, assuming the position of Secretary of State for Social Security, and later, in Pedro Santana Lopes’s administration, she was Secretary of State for Arts and Shows.
She served as Vice-President of the Assembly of the Republic in three legislatures (X, XI, and XII).
In July, during an interview with Antena 1, she announced her departure from the CDS-PP after 30 years of affiliation. “The CDS party project has not evolved, has not innovated, does not have its own identity, and, frankly, does not mobilize me,” the former Secretary of State claimed.
