Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa

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Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, ComSE, GCIH (born 1948) is a Portuguese politician, Law professor, and political analyst.

He was leader of the Social Democratic Party, from 31 March 1996 to 27 May 1999 (some weeks before his election as party leader, he declared he wouldn't be a leadership candidate "even if Christ came down to Earth"). He created a center-right coalition, called Força Portugal, with the People's Party in 1998, which had a disapponting result on the 1999 elections for the European Parliament. The coalition didn't please large parts of its own party, due to the role the People's Party leader, Paulo Portas, had in undermining Cavaco Silva's government while director of the weekly O Independente. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa resigned after Portas, in a TV interview, described a private talk they had concercing this matter.

He currently teaches Law at the University of Lisbon, and has a weekly program of political analysis every Sunday at public TV station RTP.

[edit] Trivia

He was named after his godfather, Marcello Caetano.

He claims to sleep only four-five hours daily.

Paulo Portas claimed Marcelo, as an anonymous source for O Independente, described in great detail a dinner where he wasn't present, down to the menu (which included vichyssoise).

His character in Contra-Informação is Professor Martelo (Professor Hammer).

A leading figure in the no-side of the Portuguese abortion referendum, 2007, Marcelo launched a YouTube video explaining his reasons. The video rose to proeminence after having been merciless mocked by Gato Fedorento, whose program is ironically shown after Marcello's at RTP every Sunday.