1939- . Portuguese politician, finance
minister 1980-81, and prime minister and
Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader from
1985. Under his leadership Portugal joined
the European Community 1985 and the Western
European Union 1988. Cavaco Silva was born in
Loule, studied economics in Britain and the
USA, and was a university teacher and
research director in the Bank of Portugal. In
1978, with the return of constitutional
government, he entered politics. His first
government fell in 1987, but an election
later that year gave him Portugal's first
absolute majority since democracy was
restored.