XVIII Constitutional Government of Portugal

XVIII Constitutional Government of Portugal
cabinet of Portugal
300x200px Prime Minister José Socrates
Date formed	26 October 2009 (2009-10-26)
Date dissolved	21 June 2011 (2011-06-21) ()
People and organisations
Head of government	José Sócrates, Prime Minister
Head of state	Aníbal Cavaco Silva, President of the Republic
Number of ministers	16 ministers
Member party	Socialist Party (PS)
Status in legislature	Minority government
Opposition parties	Social Democratic Party (PSD) CDS – People's Party (CDS-PP) Left Bloc (BE) Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) Ecologist Party "The Greens" (PEV)
History
Election(s)	2009 Portuguese legislative election (27 September 2009)
Predecessor	XVII Constitutional Government of Portugal
Successor	XIX Constitutional Government of Portugal

The XVIII Constitutional Government of Portugal (Portuguese: XVIII Governo Constitucional de Portugal) was the 18th government of the Third Portuguese Republic, under the Portuguese Constitution of 1976. It was in office from 26 October 2009 to 21 June 2011, and was formed by the members of the Socialist Party (PS). José Sócrates, leader of the PS, served as Prime Minister.

Composition

The government was composed of the Prime Minister and 16 ministries comprising ministers, secretaries and under-secretaries of state.

Office	Minister		Party		Start of term	End of term
Prime Minister	120x120px	José Sócrates		PS	26 October 2009	21 June 2011
Minister of State and Foreign Affairs	120x120px	Luís Amado		PS	26 October 2009	21 June 2011
Minister of State and Finance	Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination	Fernando Teixeira dos Santos		Independent	26 October 2009	21 June 2011
Minister of Presidency	120x120px	Pedro Silva Pereira		PS	26 October 2009	21 June 2011
Minister of National Defense	120x120px	Augusto Santos Silva		PS	26 October 2009	21 June 2011
Minister of Internal Administration	Rui Pereira			Independent	26 October 2009	21 June 2011
Minister of Justice	Alberto Martins			PS	26 October 2009	21 June 2011
Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Development	120x120px	José António Vieira da Silva		PS	26 October 2009	21 June 2011
Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries	António Serrano			Independent	26 October 2009	21 June 2011
Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communications	António Mendonça			Independent	26 October 2009	21 June 2011
Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning	Dulce Pássaro			Independent	26 October 2009	21 June 2011
Minister of Labour and Social Solidarity	Helena André			PS	26 October 2009	21 June 2011
Minister of Health	120x120px	Ana Jorge		Independent	26 October 2009	21 June 2011
Minister of Education	120x120px	Isabel Alçada		Independent	26 October 2009	21 June 2011
Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education	120x120px	Mariano Gago		Independent	26 October 2009	21 June 2011
Minister of Culture	120x120px	Gabriela Canavilhas		PS	26 October 2009	21 June 2011
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs	Jorge Lacão			PS	26 October 2009	21 June 2011

Events

In 2008–09, with the Great Recession starting to hit Portugal and facing recession and high unemployment, austerity was waned as part of the European economic stimulus plan. Nevertheless, support for Sócrates and the Socialists eroded and the ruling party lost its majority in the 2009 election. The second government of José Sócrates faced a deterioration of the economic and financial state of the country, with skyrocketing deficit and growing debt. Austerity was resumed in 2010 while the country entered a hard financial crisis in the context of the European debt crisis.

On 23 March 2011, Sócrates submitted his resignation to President Aníbal Cavaco Silva after the Parliament rejected a new austerity package (the fourth in a year), leading to the 2011 snap election. Financial status of the country deteriorated and on 6 April Sócrates caretaker government requested a bail-out program which was conceded. The €78 billion IMF/European Union bailout to Portugal thus started and would last until May 2014. Sócrates lost the snap election held on 5 June 2011 and resigned as Secretary-General of the Socialist Party. For most of his political career, Sócrates was associated to several corruption cases, notably Independente University and Freeport cases.