The Government announced this Wednesday, 8 April, that António Vicente, current coordinator of the working group for State Reform, will replace Carlos Costa Neves as Secretary-General of the executive, with no costs to the Portuguese public treasury. Following the selection of Carlos Costa Neves by the Board of Trustees of the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) for the institution's Executive Board, the Prime Minister accepted his resignation. António Vicente will assume the role on Thursday, maintaining his salary as a European Commission official, thus incurring no additional costs for the Portuguese state. Vicente has a distinguished career, having served as Deputy Head of the European Commission Representation in Portugal, a member of the post-Brexit negotiation team, and Chief of Staff to former European Commissioner Carlos Moedas.
António Vicente replaces Carlos Costa Neves as Secretary-General of the Government
Wednesday, 8 April 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
The Public Administration (Administração Pública) is Portugal's central, regional and local government bodies and the public-sector workforce that deliver services like healthcare, education and municipal functions. A pay rise announced on 20 February 2026 raised the state's base public-sector salary to €934.99 with retroactive payments back to January 2026, so employees and those who contract with state bodies should expect updated payrolls and potential budget effects.
