Montenegro succeeds Costa. XXIV Constitutional Government takes office

Less than a month after the legislative elections on March 10, the day has arrived for the prime minister-designate, Luís Montenegro, and the 17 ministers of the XXIV Constitutional Government to take office. The ceremony takes place from 6pm at the Ajuda National Palace.

Two speeches are planned: by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and by the new head of the executive, Luís Montenegro.RTP3 carries out a special broadcast, starting at 5pm, to follow the inauguration ceremony at the Ajuda National Palace.

The new government is made up of 17 ministers – ten men and seven women. The majority of government officials are from the PSD. Nuno Melo, leader of the CDS, takes over the Defense portfolio and there are four names advanced as independents.

The ministerial cast
The XXIV Constitutional Government thus has two ministers of State: the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, who is Luís Montenegro’s “number two”, and the holder of the Finance portfolio, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento.

The social democratic leader also has a deputy minister, Manuel Castro Almeida, who assumes the portfolio of Territorial Cohesion and the management of community funds.In total, the XXIV Constitutional Government has seven ministers, two less than the last Executive of António Costa.

Among the 17 ministers, only Maria da Graça Carvalho is “repeated” – she was Minister of Science and Higher Education in the coalition governments of Durão Barroso and Santana Lopes. Six have held State secretariats in the past – Paulo Rangel, António Leitão Amaro, Manuel Castro Almeida, Pedro Duarte, Fernando Alexandre and Miguel Pinto Luz.

Minister of State and Foreign Affairs: Paulo Rangel

Minister of State and Finance: Joaquim Miranda Sarmento

Minister of the Presidency: António Leitão Amaro

Deputy Minister and Territorial Cohesion: Manuel Castro Almeida

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs: Pedro Duarte

Minister of National Defense: Nuno Melo

Minister of Justice: Rita Judice

Minister of Internal Administration: Margarida Blasco

Minister of Education, Science and Innovation: Fernando Alexandre

Minister of Health: Ana Paula Martins

Minister of Infrastructure and Housing: Miguel Pinto Luz

Economy minister: Pedro Reis

Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security: Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho

Minister of Environment and Energy: Maria da Graça Carvalho

Minister of Youth and Modernization: Margarida Balseiro Lopes

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries: José Manuel Fernandes

Minister of Culture: Delilah Rodrigues

The political calendar
The Secretaries of State will take office next Friday. The names are expected to be known in the next few hours.

On April 10, the Government Program is submitted to the Assembly of the Republic. Then, on April 11th and 12th, the document will be discussed and voted on.

The Constitution of the Republic establishes that a government only enters into full functions after the respective program has been assessed in parliament. Remember that the PCP has already announced that it will present a motion for rejection.