Afonso Costa | |
|---|---|
 Afonso Costa in 1921 | |
| Prime Minister of Portugal | |
| In office 25 April 1917 – 11 December 1917 | |
| President | Bernardino Machado |
| Preceded by | António José de Almeida |
| Succeeded by | Revolutionary Junta |
| In office 29 November 1915 – 15 March 1916 | |
| President | Bernardino Machado |
| Preceded by | José de Castro |
| Succeeded by | António José de Almeida |
| In office 9 January 1913 – 9 February 1914 | |
| President | Manuel de Arriaga |
| Preceded by | Duarte Leite |
| Succeeded by | Bernardino Machado |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1871-03-06)6 March 1871 Seia, Portugal |
| Died | 11 May 1937(1937-05-11) (aged 66) Paris, France |
| Political party | Portuguese Republican (laterDemocratic) |
| Other political affiliations | Republic Defence League (1927–1937) |
| Spouse | |
| Relations | Catarina Wallenstein (great-great-granddaughter) |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | University of Coimbra |
| Occupation |
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| Signature |  |
Afonso Augusto da Costa,GCTE,GCL (Portuguese pronunciation:[ɐˈfõsuˈkɔʃtɐ]; 6 March 1871 inSeia[1] – 11 May 1937 inParis) was aPortuguese lawyer, professor andrepublican politician.
Costa was the leader of thePortuguese Republican Party and he was one of the major figures of thePortuguese First Republic. He was a republican deputy in the Chamber of Deputies during the last years of the monarchy. After the proclamation of the republic, he was Minister for Justice duringTeófilo Braga's short-lived provisional government, which lasted from 5 October 1910 to 3 September 1911.
During this period, Costa signed the controversial laws which expelled the Jesuits from Portugal, abolished all the religious orders and established the separation of church and state. These things made him a symbol of theanticlericalism of the First Republic. Also, he was instrumental in the passage of many progressive laws, such as those concerning divorce, family relations, civil registry of marriage, leases of property, judicial reorganization, industrial accidents and censorship of the press.
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He served asPrime Minister ofPortugal three times. The first time, he was called by PresidentManuel de Arriaga to form a government, as the leader of theRepublican Democratic Party. This term of office (which he combined with the role of Finance Minister) lasted from 9 January 1913 to 9 February 1914.[2] He returned to power, as Prime Minister and Finance Minister, from 29 November 1915 to 16 March 1916.
Following more political instability Costa was yet again Prime Minister, from 25 April 1917 to 8 December 1917, in a national-unity government nicknamed theSacred Union, to support Portugal's entrance intoWorld War I. AfterSidónio Pais's militarycoup d'état in December 1917, Costa went into exile in Paris and though he did sometimes return briefly to Portugal, he never again lived there, even after Pais's assassination in 1918.
After the end of the war, Costa led the Portuguese delegation to theParis Peace Conference from 12 March 1919 and he signed theTreaty of Versailles of 28 June 1919 on behalf of Portugal. He was the Portuguese representative at the first assembly of theLeague of Nations.
On 10 July 1919 he was awarded the Grand Cross of theMilitary Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of Valour, Loyalty and Merit.
On a number of other occasions during the First Republic, Costa received invitations to head the government again but he always refused. After the28 May coup d'état, he strongly opposed themilitary dictatorship; he equally opposed the right-wing civilian CatholicEstado Novo (New State) administration led from 1932 by Dr.Salazar. He died in Paris on 11 May 1937.
Costa was given up at birth as afoundling at thebaby hatch of theSanta Casa da Misericórdia (Holy House of Mercy) of the town ofSeia in north-centralPortugal[citation needed]. By way of explanation:
"The Santa Casa da Misericórdia was founded [in Lisbon] in 1582, by Jose de Anchieta, a Jesuit. It is opened to the poor of every nation and religion, and affords a refuge to foundlings and orphans. The foundlings are deposited in a revolving wheel, which is placed perpendicularly in the wall. The wheel is divided into four apartments, one of which opens without. The heartless mother who wishes to part with her infant child, has only to deposit it in the box, and a revolution of the wheel passes it within the walls, never more to be reclaimed."[3]
Together with his older brother and sister, he was registered as a son of unknown parents with the name Afonso Maria de Ligório. Ten years later, his parents,Sebastião Fernandes da Costa and Ana Augusta Pereira, recognized him and his brother and sister. They married and readopted the children. Costa re-assumed his birth name in order to conceal the circumstances of his birth.
He was married inCoimbra on 15 September 1892 toAlzira Coelho de Campos de Barros de Abreu (born atOliveira do Hospital, 20 April 1876; died atLisbon, 1970), the daughter of Albano Mendes de Abreu, amedical doctor, and his wife, Emília de Barros Coelho de Campos. She was the sister of the writer, José de Barros Mendes de Abreu, who was born atOleiros, Vilar Barroco, 20 July 1878.
Costa's wife is an ancestor of the modern-day actresses,Sofia Sá da Bandeira andCatarina Wallenstein.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Portugal (President of the Ministry) 1913–1914 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Portugal (President of the Ministry) 1915–1916 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Portugal (President of the Ministry) 1917 | Succeeded by |
| First Republic (1910–1926) |
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| Second Republic (1933–1974) | ||
| Third Republic (1974–present) | ||
