MÁRIO Henrique de Almeida Santos DAVID
Member of the European Parliament

Mário David is a MEP in the VII Legislature of the European Parliament (2009-2014), elected by the Portuguese Social Democrat Party (PSD, EPP member). In the European Parliament he serves on the Committee of Foreign Affairs, on 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 on the Delegation with the NATO P.A. and on the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint P.A.

He is also the Vice President of the European People´s Party (EPP). He is married to Maria Filomena for more than 25 years. They have a son, Pedro.

Mário David was born on August 20th, 1953, in Lunda, Angola. He finished high school in Luanda and then went to the Faculty of Medicine. In 1974 he moved to the Faculty of Medicine in Lisbon, where he finished his degree on August 27th, 1977. Afterwards he served as a doctor in several Hospitals and Health Centers.

He joins the Social Democrat Party in 1979, and was invited by General Soares Carneiro, former General Secretary of the Government in Angola, and personal friend of the family, to integrate his presidential campaign staff in 1980.

He starts then his career in politics and works with several Government members, being the Head of Cabinet of Francisco Pinto Balsemão, Paulo Mendo, Fernando Nogueira, Faria de Oliveira and António Capucho (ministers).

In 1987 he attends 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 in 1989, already to the European Parliament, where he was elected Secretary General, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Group and Member of the Presidency of the European Liberals, Democrats and Reformists (ELDR).

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

Under the leadership of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the Social Democrat Party joined the European People´s Party on November 1996 and Mário David was elected Secretary General of the Parliamentary Group of EPP from April 1997 to July 1999.

With the enlargement of Europe to eastern countries, Mário David assumes the role of Special Counselor for the enlargement of the European Union and he was also responsible for the follow up team for the twelve candidate countries and for the relations with Russia and the Balkan countries.

With the victory of the Social Democrat Party on the elections of 2002, Prime Minister Durão Barroso invites Mário David to be his Political Advisor, covering mainly European Affairs. From May to July 2004, he assumes a crucial role in the nomination of Durão Barroso as President of the European Commission in 2005, (which was recognized in articles published in Newsweek and in Financial Times).

While coordinating the Office of Transition of the new Barroso Commission, he is invited by the Prime Minister Santana Lopes to be State Secretary for European Affairs, during the XVI Constitutional Government. His entrance into office was on 23 rd July 2004.

During his mandate, he was the founder of the Movement of the friends of the cohesion countries and created the basis for the well succeeded negotiation of the financial perspectives 2007-2013 for Portugal which resulted on an envelope of about 21 billion Euros.

In March 2005 he was elected a Member of Parliament to the X Legislature of the Assembly of the Republic (Portuguese Parliament) within the Leiria circunscription. He serves as a member of the European Affairs Committee where he was the coordinator of the Social Democrat Party, member of the National Defense Committee and substitute member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

He created and was the Chairman of two Parliamentary Friendship Groups, with the Russian Federation and Ukraine and he was the Vice Chair of the Parliamentary Group of Friendship with the Popular Republic of China.

Still in PSD, he was the Deputy Secretary General and Member of the National Council during Rebelo de Sousa Presidency and also Chairman of the Commission for the International Relations during the presidencies of Durão Barroso, Marques Mendes and Santana Lopes.

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

Last but not the least, not only politics are a part of his life. He was also the Vice President of the Tennis Portuguese Federation and he is a member of Sporting Club of Portugal Advisory Council.

Citizen of the world, fascinated by discovering new cultures and realities, he has visited about 60 countries.

mario.david@europarl.europa.eu