Assunção Cristas
Maria de Assunção de Oliveira Cristas Machado da Graça (born 28 September 1974) is a Portuguese lawyer, professor and politician. She was the President of the CDS – People's Party from 2016 to 2020.
Assunção Cristas | |
|---|---|
| President of CDS – People's Party | |
| In office 13 March 2016 – 25 January 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Paulo Portas |
| Succeeded by | Francisco Rodrigues dos Santos |
| Minister of Agriculture and Sea | |
| In office 21 June 2011 – 26 November 2015 | |
| Prime Minister | Pedro Passos Coelho |
| Preceded by | António Serrano |
| Succeeded by | Luís Capoulas Santos |
| Minister of the Environment and Territorial Planning | |
| In office 21 June 2011 – 24 July 2013 | |
| Prime Minister | Pedro Passos Coelho |
| Preceded by | Dulce Pássaro |
| Succeeded by | Jorge Moreira da Silva |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 September 1974 Luanda, Portuguese Angola |
| Political party | CDS – People's Party (2007–present) |
| Spouse | Tiago Machado da Graça |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | University of Lisbon |
Since 2017 she's also opposition leader councilwoman in the Lisbon City Council, elected with 21% of popular vote.
From 2011 to 2015, she served as Minister of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Territorial Planning in the government led by Pedro Passos Coelho.
Life before politics
She is a lawyer by training and a professor at the New University of Lisbon. She graduated in law in 1997 by the University of Lisbon,[1] was admitted in the Portuguese Bar Association in 1999 and completed her doctorate in Private Law in 2004.
Political career
Assunção Cristas has been a member of Democratic and Social Centre - People's Party since 2007. 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.
Cristas led the CDS-PP into the 2019 elections. Her party was defeated, with the CDS-PP losing 13 seats and retaining only 5. She announced her resignation as leader of CDS-PP that evening.[2]