Assunção Cristas

Assunção Cristas
Minister of Agriculture and Sea
Incumbent
Assumed office
24 July 2013
President Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho
Preceded by Herself (as Minister of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Territorial Planning)
Minister of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Territorial Planning
In office
21 June 2011  24 July 2013
President Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho
Preceded by António Serrano (Agriculture and Sea)
Dulce Pássaro (Environment and Territorial Planning)
Succeeded by Herself (as Minister of Agriculture and Sea)
Jorge Moreira da Silva (as Minister of Environment, Territorial Planning and Energy)
Personal details
Born 28 September 1974
Luanda, Portuguese Angola
Political party Democratic and Social Centre - People's Party (2007-present)
Spouse(s) Tiago Pereira dos Reis Machado da Graça
Children 2 sons, 2 daughters
Alma mater University of Lisbon
Occupation Politician
Profession Lawyer
Professor
Religion Roman Catholicism

Maria da Assunção de Oliveira Cristas Machado da Graça (born Luanda, Portuguese Angola, September 28, 1974) is a Portuguese lawyer, professor and conservative politician of the Democratic and Social Centre - People's Party. As of 2011, she serves as Minister of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Territorial Planning in the government led by Pedro Passos Coelho.

Life before politics

She graduated in law in 1997 by the University of Lisbon, she is a lawyer by training and a professor at the New University of Lisbon.

She was admitted in the Portuguese Bar Association in 1999 and completed her doctorate in Private Law in 2004.

Political career

Assunção Cristas is a member of Democratic and Social Centre - People's Party since 2007.

Before entering the party, she was already known as an advocate against abortion.

She was first elected to the Assembly of the Republic in 2009 elections, representing Leiria. She was re-elected in 2011 elections, participating in the negotiations between her party and the winning Social Democratic Party to form a coalition government.

Personal life

Assunção Cristas is married to Tiago Pereira dos Reis Machado da Graça and mother of four children. She was the first woman to get pregnant and give birth while in office as a Portuguese minister.

She is a practising Catholic.

See also

References