João Soares

João Soares studied at University of Lisbon. The recorded working language is Portuguese. Places of work recorded in the authority are Strasbourg and Brussels. Positions recorded include Mayor of Lisbon and member of the Assembly of the Republic. Distinctions recorded are Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit.

• Name — João Soares • Office — Minister of Culture • Term Start — 26 November 2015 • Term End — 8 April 2016 • Prime Minister — António Costa • Predecessor — Teresa Morais • Successor — Luís Filipe Castro Mendes • Office2 — Mayor of Lisbon • Term Start2 — 15 November 1995 • Term End2 — 23 January 2002 • Predecessor2 — Jorge Sampaio • Successor2 — Pedro Santana Lopes • Birth Name — João Barroso Soares • Born — 29 August 1949 • Birthplace — Lisbon • Party — Socialist Party • Occupation — Editor • Occupation — Politician • Spouse — Annick Burhenne • Children — 5 • Alma Mater — University of Lisbon • Father — Mário Soares • Mother — Maria Barroso • Term Start3 — 4 April 2002 • Term End3 — 24 October 2019 • Term Start4 — 19 July 1987 • Term End4 — 6 October 1991 • Constituency4 — Lisbon • Constituency3 — Lisbon (2002–2009) Faro (2009–2015) Lisbon (2015–2019)

He is the son of the former Portuguese Prime Minister and President, Mário Soares, and the actress Maria Barroso. He was married to Maria Olímpia Soares (b. 1951), daughter of António Domingos de Oliveira Soares and wife Clotilde Soares, by whom he had three children: Maria Inês (b. 1976), Maria Mafalda (b. 1981) and Mário Alberto (b. 1987). Later divorced, he married the Belgian Annick Burhenne, by whom he had a son Jonas (b. 2003), named after Jonas Savimbi, of whom João Soares is an admirer, and a daughter Lilah (b. 2007).

In 2004, he lost to Manuel Alegre and José Sócrates a bid for the party leadership, and in October 2005 lost to Fernando Seara the election for President of the Municipality of Sintra. He also lost the election for president of the Municipality of Lisbon to Pedro Santana Lopes, in 2001, being the first mayor of Lisboa to lose a reelection. In July 2008 he was elected President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. He was reelected for another one-year term in July 2009. During the 2008 and 2012 United States elections, he acted as the special coordinator for the OSCE International Observation Mission.

In April 2016, in a Facebook post, João Soares, Minister of Culture, said that he looked forward to landing "salutary blows" on two newspaper columnists. The post attracted hundreds of critical comments from the public, opposition politicians and journalists. Mr Soares, resigned after Prime Minister António Costa reprimanded him and issued a public apology. He initially defended his comments as a response to an "insulting personal attack", but later apologised.

João Soares was recorded at birth as João Barroso Soares. The authorities additionally record the heading João Barroso Soares. His recorded language was Portuguese. He was the child of Mário Soares and Maria Barroso.

Recorded positions include Mayor of Lisbon, member of the Assembly of the Republic, Member of the European Parliament and Minister of Culture. He worked at Strasbourg and Brussels.

João Soares is recorded as politician, writer and mayor.