Jorge Sampaio
Encyclopedia
Jorge Fernando Branco de Sampaio, GColTE
, GCIH
, GColL
(ˈʒɔɾʒ(ɨ) sɐ̃ˈpaju) is a Portuguese
lawyer
and politician
who was the 18th President of Portugal
from 1996 to 2006.
on 18 September 1939. The Sampaio family lived abroad in the United States
and the United Kingdom
for some years, due to the professional activity of his father Arnaldo de Sampaio (1908–1984), a Medical Doctor. His mother was Fernanda Bensaúde Branco (1908 - Lisbon
, 15 February 2000). His maternal grandmother Sara Bensliman Bensaúde, who died in 1976, was a of Sephardi Jew
from Morocco
of Portuguese origin, and his maternal grandfather Fernando Branco (1880–1940) was a Naval Officer of the Portuguese Navy
and later the Foreign Minister
of Portugal; Sampaio himself is agnostic, and does not consider himself a Jew. He started his political career as college student of the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon. Jorge Sampaio was involved in the student contestation against the fascist regime and was leader of the Lisbon students union between 1960 and 1961. Following his graduation in 1961, Jorge Sampaio started a notable career as a lawyer, often involved in the defence of many political prisoners.
His brother is the teenage
-psychiatrist
and writer
Daniel Sampaio.
He married firstly a medical doctor named Karin Schmidt Dias, daughter of António Jorge Dias (Porto
, 31 July 1907 - Lisbon
, 5 February 1973) and wife German
Margot Schmidt. The couple had no issue and later divorced. He married secondly Maria José Rodrigues Ritta (b. Lisbon
, 19 December 1941), daughter of José António Ritta and wife Maria José Rodrigues Xavier and sister of Maria Ermelinda and José António, by whom he had two children: Vera Ritta de Sampaio (b. 1977) and André Ritta de Sampaio (b. 1981).
After the Carnation Revolution
of 25 April 1974, Sampaio funded Movimento de Esquerda Socialista (MES) (Portuguese
acronym for Socialist Left Movement) but abandoned the political project soon after. In 1978 he joined PS, the Socialist Party
, where he remains to present day. His first election as a deputy for Lisbon
in the Portuguese National Parliament is in 1979. Between this year and 1984, he was a member of the European Commission for Human Rights, where he developed important work on these topics. Between 1986 and 1987 he was president of the parliamentary bench of the Socialist Party. In 1989, he was elected president of this political group, an office he held until 1991. Also in 1989, Jorge Sampaio was elected the 62nd Mayor of Lisbon, charge he took in 1990, and re-elected in 1993, remaining in office until 1995.
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In 1995, Jorge Sampaio announced his wish to run for the presidency of the Republic. He won the election
of 14 January 1996 in the first round against Aníbal Cavaco Silva
, the former prime-minister by then, and became president on 9 March. After a non-controversial first mandate, he was re-elected
as President on 14 January 2001.
As President, Sampaio's actions were focused on social and cultural affairs. In the international political scene, he oversaw the return of Macau
to China
in December 1999 and he also gave important publicity to the cause of East Timor
's independence.
It is generally considered that Sampaio's presidency were marked by a firm sense of prudence and moderation, an approach which earned him a remarkably uneventful first term in office. In 2004, however, his refusal to hold early elections following Social Democrat
Prime Minister José Manuel Durão Barroso
's resignation met with vigorous protest from all left-wing parties and even led to the stepping down of Socialist
leader Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues
. Sampaio made this decision to ensure political stability at a time when the country was facing economic recession, and he appointed Pedro Santana Lopes
as Prime Minister. However, only four months afterwards, on 30 November, Sampaio concluded that the new cabinet was not achieving the desired stability, but quite the opposite, and he therefore dissolved the Parliament, calling new elections for February 2005.
On 24 February 2005, Sampaio called on José Sócrates
, as the nation's next prime minister, to form a government.
Sampaio's successor was chosen in the presidential election
held on 22 January 2006. Aníbal Cavaco Silva
, the man he defeated in 1996, succeeded Sampaio on 9 March 2006.
As a former President, Sampaio is a Member of the Portuguese Council of State. He is also a member of the Club of Madrid
, an independent non-profit organization composed of 81 democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers from 57 different countries.
Jorge Sampaio is also known for supporting bullfights. Although the Portuguese law does not allow bullfights ending with the death of the bull in the arena, Jorge Sampaio was able to promote an exception to this law for Barrancos in The Alentejo province.
presidential
election results
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Candidates
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left rowspan="2"|Supporting parties
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right colspan="2"|First round
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|%
|-
|style="width: 9px" bgcolor=#FF66FF align="center" |
|align=left|Jorge Sampaio
|align=left|Socialist Party
|align="right" |3,035,056
|align="right" |53.91
|-
|style="width: 9px" bgcolor=#FF9900 align="center" |
|align=left|Aníbal Cavaco Silva
|align=left|Social Democratic Party
, People's Party
|align="right" |2,595,131
|align="right" |46.09
|-
|style="width: 9px" bgcolor=red align="center" |
|align=left|Jerónimo de Sousa
|align=left|Portuguese Communist Party
, Ecologist Party "The Greens"
|colspan="2" align="center" |left the race
|-
|style="width: 9px" bgcolor=#E2062C align="center" |
|align=left|Alberto Matos
|align=left|People's Democratic Union
|colspan="2" align="center" |left the race
|-
|colspan="3" align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total valid
|width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|5,630,187
|width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|100.00
|-
|align=right colspan="3"|Blank ballots
|width="65" align="right" |69,328
|width="40" align="right" |1.20
|-
|align=right colspan="3" |Invalid ballots
|width="65" align="right"|63,463
|width="40" align="right"|1.10
|-
|colspan="3" align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total (turnout 66.29%)
|width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|5,762,978
|width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|
|-
|colspan=5 align=left|Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições
|}
as his first Special Envoy for the Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis
. In April 2007, current UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
designated him as High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations
.
of the Council of Europe.
Order of the Tower and Sword
The Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of Valour, Loyalty and Merit is a Portuguese order of knighthood and the pinnacle of the Portuguese honours system. It was created by King Afonso V in 1459....
, GCIH
Order of Prince Henry (Ordem do Infante Dom Henrique)
The Order of Prince Henry the Navigator is a Portuguese National Order of Knighthood created on June 2, 1960, to commemorate the fifth centenary of the death of the Infante Henry the Navigator , fifth son of King John I of Portugal and his queen, Philippa of Lancaster...
, GColL
Order of Liberty
The Order of Liberty, or Freedom, is a Portuguese honorific civil order that distinguishes relevant services to the cause of democracy and freedom, in the defense of the values of civilization and human dignification...
(ˈʒɔɾʒ(ɨ) sɐ̃ˈpaju) is a Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who was the 18th President of Portugal
President of Portugal
Portugal has been a republic since 1910, and since that time the head of state has been the president, whose official title is President of the Portuguese Republic ....
from 1996 to 2006.
Background
Sampaio was born in LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
on 18 September 1939. The Sampaio family lived abroad in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for some years, due to the professional activity of his father Arnaldo de Sampaio (1908–1984), a Medical Doctor. His mother was Fernanda Bensaúde Branco (1908 - Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, 15 February 2000). His maternal grandmother Sara Bensliman Bensaúde, who died in 1976, was a of Sephardi Jew
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
from Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
of Portuguese origin, and his maternal grandfather Fernando Branco (1880–1940) was a Naval Officer of the Portuguese Navy
Portuguese Navy
The Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal....
and later the Foreign Minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
of Portugal; Sampaio himself is agnostic, and does not consider himself a Jew. He started his political career as college student of the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon. Jorge Sampaio was involved in the student contestation against the fascist regime and was leader of the Lisbon students union between 1960 and 1961. Following his graduation in 1961, Jorge Sampaio started a notable career as a lawyer, often involved in the defence of many political prisoners.
His brother is the teenage
Child and adolescent psychiatry
The branch of psychiatry that specializes in the study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of psychopathological disorders of children, adolescents, and their families, child and adolescent psychiatry encompasses the clinical investigation of phenomenology, biologic factors, psychosocial factors,...
-psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
Daniel Sampaio.
He married firstly a medical doctor named Karin Schmidt Dias, daughter of António Jorge Dias (Porto
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
, 31 July 1907 - Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, 5 February 1973) and wife German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
Margot Schmidt. The couple had no issue and later divorced. He married secondly Maria José Rodrigues Ritta (b. Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, 19 December 1941), daughter of José António Ritta and wife Maria José Rodrigues Xavier and sister of Maria Ermelinda and José António, by whom he had two children: Vera Ritta de Sampaio (b. 1977) and André Ritta de Sampaio (b. 1981).
After the Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
of 25 April 1974, Sampaio funded Movimento de Esquerda Socialista (MES) (Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
acronym for Socialist Left Movement) but abandoned the political project soon after. In 1978 he joined PS, the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (Portugal)
The Socialist Party , abbreviated to PS, is a social-democratic political party in Portugal. It was founded on 19 April 1973 in the German city of Bad Münstereifel, by militants from Portuguese Socialist Action ....
, where he remains to present day. His first election as a deputy for Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
in the Portuguese National Parliament is in 1979. Between this year and 1984, he was a member of the European Commission for Human Rights, where he developed important work on these topics. Between 1986 and 1987 he was president of the parliamentary bench of the Socialist Party. In 1989, he was elected president of this political group, an office he held until 1991. Also in 1989, Jorge Sampaio was elected the 62nd Mayor of Lisbon, charge he took in 1990, and re-elected in 1993, remaining in office until 1995.
Presidency
Portuguese presidential election, 1996
The Portuguese presidential election of 1996 was held on January 14.Incumbent president Mário Soares was constitutionally barred from a third term....
of 14 January 1996 in the first round against Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Aníbal António Cavaco Silva, GCC , is the President of Portugal. He won the Portuguese presidential election on 22 January 2006 and was re-elected on 23 January 2011, for a second five-year term. Cavaco Silva was sworn in on 9 March 2006....
, the former prime-minister by then, and became president on 9 March. After a non-controversial first mandate, he was re-elected
Portuguese presidential election, 2001
The Portuguese presidential election of 2001 was held on January 12.The victory of incumbent president Jorge Branco de Sampaio was never in doubt and the turnout was therefore quite low...
as President on 14 January 2001.
As President, Sampaio's actions were focused on social and cultural affairs. In the international political scene, he oversaw the return of Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
to China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in December 1999 and he also gave important publicity to the cause of East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
's independence.
It is generally considered that Sampaio's presidency were marked by a firm sense of prudence and moderation, an approach which earned him a remarkably uneventful first term in office. In 2004, however, his refusal to hold early elections following Social Democrat
Social Democratic Party (Portugal)
The Social Democratic Party , is a centre-right liberal conservative political party in Portugal. It is commonly known by its initials, PSD; on ballot papers, its initials appear as PPD/PSD, with the first three letters coming from the party's original name, Democratic People's Party...
Prime Minister José Manuel Durão Barroso
José Manuel Durão Barroso
José Manuel Durão Barroso is a Portuguese politician. He is President of the European Commission, since 23 November 2004. He served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 6 April 2002 to 17 July 2004.-Academic career:...
's resignation met with vigorous protest from all left-wing parties and even led to the stepping down of Socialist
Socialist Party (Portugal)
The Socialist Party , abbreviated to PS, is a social-democratic political party in Portugal. It was founded on 19 April 1973 in the German city of Bad Münstereifel, by militants from Portuguese Socialist Action ....
leader Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues
Ferro Rodrigues
Eduardo Luís Barreto Ferro Rodrigues is a Portuguese politician and economist.He was Minister for Social Security, and later for Public Works in the governments of António Guterres....
. Sampaio made this decision to ensure political stability at a time when the country was facing economic recession, and he appointed Pedro Santana Lopes
Pedro Santana Lopes
Pedro Miguel de Santana Lopes , a Portuguese lawyer and politician, was Prime Minister of Portugal from 2004 to 2005. He is a former and current Member of the Portuguese Parliament.-Background:...
as Prime Minister. However, only four months afterwards, on 30 November, Sampaio concluded that the new cabinet was not achieving the desired stability, but quite the opposite, and he therefore dissolved the Parliament, calling new elections for February 2005.
On 24 February 2005, Sampaio called on José Sócrates
José Sócrates
José Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa, GCIH , commonly known by José Sócrates , is a Portuguese politician who was the Prime Minister of Portugal from 12 March 2005 to 21 June 2011....
, as the nation's next prime minister, to form a government.
Sampaio's successor was chosen in the presidential election
Portuguese presidential election, 2006
The Portuguese presidential election were held on 22 January 2006 to elect a successor to the incumbent President Jorge Sampaio, who was term-limited from running for a third consecutive term by the Constitution of Portugal...
held on 22 January 2006. Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Aníbal António Cavaco Silva, GCC , is the President of Portugal. He won the Portuguese presidential election on 22 January 2006 and was re-elected on 23 January 2011, for a second five-year term. Cavaco Silva was sworn in on 9 March 2006....
, the man he defeated in 1996, succeeded Sampaio on 9 March 2006.
As a former President, Sampaio is a Member of the Portuguese Council of State. He is also a member of the Club of Madrid
Club of Madrid
The Club de Madrid is an independent non-profit organization created to promote democracy and change in the international community. Composed of 80 former Presidents and Prime Ministers from 56 countries, the Club de Madrid is the world’s largest forum of former Heads of State and Government.Among...
, an independent non-profit organization composed of 81 democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers from 57 different countries.
Jorge Sampaio is also known for supporting bullfights. Although the Portuguese law does not allow bullfights ending with the death of the bull in the arena, Jorge Sampaio was able to promote an exception to this law for Barrancos in The Alentejo province.
1996 Portuguese presidential election
Summary of the 14 January 1996 PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
presidential
President of Portugal
Portugal has been a republic since 1910, and since that time the head of state has been the president, whose official title is President of the Portuguese Republic ....
election results
Elections in Portugal
Elections in Portugal gives information on election and election results in Portugal.Only the elections since the Carnation Revolution of 1974 are listed here. During the period encompassing the Constitutional Monarchy and the First Republic there were also elections, but only for a limited...
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Candidates
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left rowspan="2"|Supporting parties
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right colspan="2"|First round
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|%
|-
|style="width: 9px" bgcolor=#FF66FF align="center" |
|align=left|Jorge Sampaio
|align=left|Socialist Party
Socialist Party (Portugal)
The Socialist Party , abbreviated to PS, is a social-democratic political party in Portugal. It was founded on 19 April 1973 in the German city of Bad Münstereifel, by militants from Portuguese Socialist Action ....
|align="right" |3,035,056
|align="right" |53.91
|-
|style="width: 9px" bgcolor=#FF9900 align="center" |
|align=left|Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Aníbal António Cavaco Silva, GCC , is the President of Portugal. He won the Portuguese presidential election on 22 January 2006 and was re-elected on 23 January 2011, for a second five-year term. Cavaco Silva was sworn in on 9 March 2006....
|align=left|Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Portugal)
The Social Democratic Party , is a centre-right liberal conservative political party in Portugal. It is commonly known by its initials, PSD; on ballot papers, its initials appear as PPD/PSD, with the first three letters coming from the party's original name, Democratic People's Party...
, People's Party
|align="right" |2,595,131
|align="right" |46.09
|-
|style="width: 9px" bgcolor=red align="center" |
|align=left|Jerónimo de Sousa
Jerónimo de Sousa
Jerónimo Carvalho de Sousa is the General Secretary of the Portuguese Communist Party since the 17th Congress of the Party in November 2004....
|align=left|Portuguese Communist Party
Portuguese Communist Party
The Portuguese Communist Party is a major left-wing political party in Portugal. It is a Marxist-Leninist party, and its organization is based upon democratic centralism. The party also considers itself to be patriotic and internationalist....
, Ecologist Party "The Greens"
|colspan="2" align="center" |left the race
|-
|style="width: 9px" bgcolor=#E2062C align="center" |
|align=left|Alberto Matos
|align=left|People's Democratic Union
People's Democratic Union (Portugal)
The People's Democratic Union is a marxist political movement in Portugal. The UDP transformed itself into a political association at its 15th congress due to its merger with other left-wing parties in the Left Bloc....
|colspan="2" align="center" |left the race
|-
|colspan="3" align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total valid
|width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|5,630,187
|width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|100.00
|-
|align=right colspan="3"|Blank ballots
|width="65" align="right" |69,328
|width="40" align="right" |1.20
|-
|align=right colspan="3" |Invalid ballots
|width="65" align="right"|63,463
|width="40" align="right"|1.10
|-
|colspan="3" align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total (turnout 66.29%)
|width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|5,762,978
|width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|
|-
|colspan=5 align=left|Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições
|}
Post-presidential career
In May 2006, Sampaio was appointed by the United Nations Secretary-GeneralUnited Nations Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat of the United Nations, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations....
as his first Special Envoy for the Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis
Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis
The promotes , which calls for a total of $56 billion between 2006 and 2015 to treat 50 million tuberculosis patients and save 14 million lives during that period. Full funding of the Plan will help achieve the Millennium Development Goal to have "halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence...
. In April 2007, current UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
designated him as High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations
Alliance of Civilizations
The Alliance of Civilizations is an initiative proposed by the Prime Minister of the Government of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, at the 59th General Assembly of the United Nations in 2005. It was co-sponsored by the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan...
.
Honours and awards
In 2008, he was awarded the North-South PrizeNorth-South Prize
The North–South Prize is awarded annually by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe to two public figures who are recognised for their deep commitment, outstanding achievements and hope they have generated in the field of protection of human rights, the defence of pluralist democracy and...
of the Council of Europe.
- Grand Master of the Order of the Tower and SwordOrder of the Tower and SwordThe Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of Valour, Loyalty and Merit is a Portuguese order of knighthood and the pinnacle of the Portuguese honours system. It was created by King Afonso V in 1459....
(Portugal) - Knight Grand Cross with Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Italian RepublicOrder of Merit of the Italian RepublicThe Order of Merit of the Italian Republic was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951...
- Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra MarianaOrder of the Cross of Terra MarianaThe Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana was instituted in 1995 to honour the independence of the Estonian state. The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana is bestowed upon the President of the Republic. Presidents of the Republic who have ceased to hold office shall keep the Order of the Cross of...
(Estonia) - Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav ( Norway)
- Order of St. Michael and St. George (United Kingdom)
- Order of the Three StarsOrder of the Three StarsOrder of the Three Stars is order awarded for merits in service for Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of founding of Latvia. Its motto is "Per aspera ad astra"...
(Latvia) - Order of the White Eagle (Poland, 1997)
- Order of the White Double CrossOrder of the White Double CrossThe Order of the White Double Cross is the highest state decoration of the Republic of Slovakia.The Order was instituted on 1 March 1994 after Slovakia became independent on 1 January 1993...
, First Class (Slovakia, 2003).