Maria Luís Albuquerque

Maria Luís Albuquerque
Minister of Finance
Incumbent
Assumed office
2 July 2013
Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho
Preceded by Vítor Gaspar
Personal details
Born 1967 (age 47–48)
Braga, Portugal
Political party Social Democratic Party
Alma mater Lusíada University
Technical University of Lisbon

Maria Luís Albuquerque (born 1967 in Braga) is a Portuguese politician.[1] She took office as Minister of State and Finance on 2 July 2013, replacing Vitor Gaspar.

Early life and education

Albuquerque is married and has three children. She graduated in Economics in 1991 from Universidade Lusíada, in Lisbon, and holds a Masters degree (1997) in Monetary and Financial Economics from ISEG, Technical University of Lisbon.

Career

Albuquerque worked at the Directorate General of Treasury from 1996 to 1999; at the office of Higher Technical Studies and Economic Forecasts of the Ministry of Economy from 1999 to 2001 and as an advisor to the Secretary of State for Treasury and Finance in 2001. Between 2001 and 2007 she was Director of the Department of Financial Management of REFER, the railway infrastructure public company. From 2007 to 2011 she was Head of Issuing and Markets Department at the Portuguese Debt Management Agency. She was a lecturer at Universidade Lusíada between 1991 and 2006.

At the XIX Constitutional Government, Maria Luís Albuquerque became Secretary of State for Treasury and Finance between June 2011 and October 2012 and Secretary of State for Treasury between October 2012 and June 2013. In such capacity, she followed Eurogroup and Ecofin matters as alternate to the then Minister of State and Finance.

Minister of State and Finance, 2013 – present

Albuquerque’s appointment was followed by the demission of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Portas, who had openly criticized her nomination.[2] Questions were raised after she denied that the Government had been informed about "swap" operations performed under the Government of Prime Minister José Sócrates, while the former Minister of Finance, Vitor Gaspar, admitted that he had been informed.

As Finance Minister, Albuquerque has been supporting the reform program advocated by Portugal’s creditors and put in place by Gaspar.[3] By January 2015, she announced that Portugal would follow Ireland with an early repayment of bailout loans from the International Monetary Fund after borrowing costs fell and the country was able to sell 30-year bonds.[4]

In her current position, Albuquerque also serves as a Member of the Board of Governors at the African Development Bank, the European Stability Mechanism and the European Investment Bank.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.publico.pt/economia/noticia/marido-de-maria-luis-albuquerque-rescinde-contrato-com-edp-1599136
  2. ↑ Raphael Minder (July 6, 2013), Seeking to Repair a Rift in Portugal’s Ruling Coalition New York Times.
  3. ↑ Raphael Minder (July 3, 2013), Prime Minister Tells Portuguese He Won’t Resign New York Times.
  4. ↑ João Lima and Henrique Almeida (July 3, 2013), Portugal to Join Ireland With Early Repayment of IMF Loans Bloomberg News.
Political offices
Preceded by
Vítor Gaspar		 Minister of Finance
2013–present 		Incumbent