Former minister João Salgueiro died this Friday, aged 88, announced the Presidency of the Republic.
“Portugal today lost one of its most brilliant economists of the second half of the 20th century”, says Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in a statement.
“It had a particularly important role in economic planning, in the birth of the plan regions, which would give rise to the CCDR, in the failed attempt at modernization under Marcello Caetano, in the public banking sector in the 70s and 80s, in the Ministry of Finance, at the head of one of the most important sensitivities within the PPD-PSD and, for 50 years, at SEDES, of which he was an inspiration, president and tutelary figure, in the transition to Democracy and until the 21st century”, it also reads in the note signed by the head of state.
Graduated in Economics, João Salgueiro was Deputy Governor of the Bank of Portugal. He held, until 1971, the position of Undersecretary of State for Planning in the Government of Marcello Caetano, and in 1981 he would become Minister of State, Finance and Planning in the VIII Constitutional Government, of Francisco Pinto Balsemão.
In 1985, he also ran for leadership of the Social Democratic Party, losing to Aníbal Cavaco Silva.
João Salgueiro was decorated in December 2021 by the President of the Republic with the Grand Cross of the Order of Infante D. Henrique, at the closing of the 5th Congress of Sedes — Association for Economic and Social Development.