Former finance minister João Leão, dropped by prime minister António Costa after succeeding in bringing down Portugal’s deficit, has been nominated vice-dean of the ISCTE (University of Lisbon), where he has been a lecturer since 2008. Mr Leão will be given responsibility for Strategic Development. Meantime, his previous role in government has gone to two-term mayor of Lisbon Fernando Medina (beaten by a PSD led coalition at the municipal elections in September last year): a decision that has been widely criticised as a form of António Costa awarding failure. It is a criticism that has also been levelled at Mr Costa’s choice of Paul Cafôfo as one of his 38 secretaries of state. Mr Cafôfo, former Socialist mayor of Funchal, Madeira, also lost his seat at the last municipal elections. According to Correio da Manhã today, the PSD/ CDS majority now in place in the Madeiran Assembly vetoed a vote of applause for Mr Cafôfo’s new posting.
