A major research study examining the profiles, recruitment patterns, and professional backgrounds of Portuguese ministers between 1976 and 2025 was published by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation in September 2026. Entitled Quem Governa Portugal? Perfis ministeriais em perspetiva comparada (1976–2025), the study was coordinated by António Costa Pinto, Vice-President of the Lusófona Centre on Global Challenges (LusoGlobe), and Marcelo Camerlo, with contributions from an international team of political scientists, including LusoGlobe researchers Teresa Ruel and Susana Rogeiro Nina.
The research provided a comprehensive analysis of Portugal's ministerial elites throughout five decades of democratic governance, placing Portuguese developments in comparative perspective with other Southern European democracies. It examined five key dimensions of ministerial profiles: party affiliation, political experience, academic background, professional trajectories, and management experience.
Among its main findings, the study identified an increasing professionalisation of Portuguese governing elites, reflecting the broader consolidation of democratic institutions since 1976. It also highlighted the emergence of a hybrid recruitment model in which political experience and technical expertise became increasingly interconnected. Although ministers demonstrated growing levels of specialisation, political parties continued to play a central role in ministerial recruitment.
These findings contributed to broader debates on political representation, elite circulation, institutional development, and the relationship between political careers and government performance. The comparative approach also provided a basis for examining how different democratic systems selected political leaders and responded to changing governance challenges.
The participation of António Costa Pinto, Teresa Ruel, and Susana Rogeiro Nina reflected LusoGlobe's contribution to collaborative research on political institutions, democratic governance, and comparative politics. The publication also strengthened the visibility of research conducted through international academic networks and reinforced the Centre's commitment to producing knowledge with relevance for both scholarly debate and public policy.
The research project received support from the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation, which made the full study and an executive summary freely available to the public.
Publication: Quem Governa Portugal? Perfis ministeriais em perspetiva comparada (1976–2025)
Scientific coordination: António Costa Pinto and Marcelo Camerlo
Publication date: 14 September 2026
Publisher and funding institution: Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos
Full study and executive summary: https://ffms.pt/pt-pt/estudos/estudos/quem-governa-portugal-perfis-ministeriais-em-perspetiva-comparada-1976-2025