António Costa
A pragmatic political survivor who rose from Lisbon's mayor to Portugal's prime minister and now steers the agenda of the European Union.
Born 1961 (age 65)·President of the European Council since 2024·Birthday: July 17·Baby Boomers
Biography
António Costa's political career is a study in durable, center-left pragmatism. The son of a writer from Goa, he cut his teeth in Portuguese politics as a member of the Socialist Party, serving as a minister and later gaining a reputation for his direct style as Mayor of Lisbon. His defining moment came in 2015 when, as opposition leader, he forged an unexpected alliance with communist and leftist parties to topple a center-right government and become Prime Minister. His tenure saw Portugal recover robustly from financial crisis, with rising wages and falling unemployment bolstering his popularity. After nearly nine years in power, he stepped down and was swiftly elected as President of the European Council, where he now leverages his consensus-building skills to navigate the EU's complex internal dynamics and foreign policy challenges.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
António was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When António Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
António's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as Prime Minister of Portugal for eight consecutive years, from 2015 to 2024, overseeing significant economic recovery.
- Formed a unique governing alliance, known as the 'geringonça,' with communist and left-wing parties to achieve a parliamentary majority in 2015.
- Elected President of the European Council in 2024, becoming one of the EU's principal leaders.
- Previously served as Mayor of Lisbon, where he championed urban renewal and cultural projects.
Did You Know?
His father was a noted Portuguese writer of Goan descent.
He is a trained lawyer and worked as a legal advisor to the Portuguese parliament.
He is fluent in Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish.
“Europe's strength lies in its unity, not in its individual voices.”
