MÁRIO DAVID

Mário Henrique de Almeida Santos David is a MEP in the VII Legislature of the European Parliament (2009 – 2014), elected by the Portuguese Social Democratic Party (PSD). In the European Parliament, he serves on the Committee of Foreign Affairs, the Committee of International Trade and on the Sub-Committee of Security and Defence. He is also the Chairman of the Delegation for relations with the Mashrek countries, a member of EPP Group Bureau for the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean P.A., a member of the Conference of Delegation Chairs, a substitute member of the Delegation with the NATO P.A., and the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint P.A. He is also the Vice President of the European People´s Party (EPP).

Mário David was born in 1953 in Luanda, Angola. After graduating from high school in Luanda, he went on to the Faculty of Medicine. In 1974, he moved to Lisbon, where he finished his degree in 1977. He served as a doctor in several hospitals and health centers.

He joined the Social Democratic Party in 1979, and was invited by General Soares Carneiro, former Secretary General of the Government of Angola, and personal friend of the family, to integrate his presidential campaign staff in 1980. This marks the start of his political career. Mr. David worked with several government members, as the Head of Cabinet of Francisco Pinto Balsemão, Paulo Mendo, Fernando Nogueira, Faria de Oliveira, and António Capucho.

In 1987, he attended the special course of the Institute of National Defense, and was then elected President of the Portuguese Association of Auditors of National Defense.

His passion for European affairs takes Mário David to Brussels and the European Parliament in 1989, where he was elected Secretary General of the Parliamentary Group and Member of the Presidency of the European Liberals, Democrats and Reformists (ELDR).

Mário David assumed the role of Special Counselor for the enlargement of the European Union to the Eastern European countries and was also responsible for the follow-up team for the twelve candidate countries, and the relations with Russia and the Balkans.

With the victory of the Social Democratic Party in the 2002 elections, Prime Minister Durão Barroso invited Mário David to be his Political Advisor, covering mainly European Affairs. From May to July 2004, he assumed a crucial role in the nomination of Durão Barroso as President of the European Commission. While coordinating the Office of Transition of the new Barroso Commission, he was invited by the Prime Minister Santana Lopes to be State Secretary for European Affairs, during the XVI Constitutional Government. His entrance into office was in July 2004. During his mandate, he was the founder of the Movement of friends of the cohesion countries and created the basis for successful negotiations on the financial perspectives 2007-2013 for Portugal, which resulted in an envelope of about 21 billion Euros.

Mário David has insignias conferred by three states: Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine.

He is married to Maria Filomena for more than 25 years. They have a son, Pedro.