Mário Centeno

A distinguished economist and government official, Mário Centeno has served as Portugal’s minister of finance under Prime Minister António Costa since 2015. In this time, he has helped the country address its debt crisis by instituting actions such as raising wages and public pensions and strictly following European budget rules. Under Mário Centeno’s fiscal leadership, Portugal experienced its lowest fiscal deficit in more than four decades. Moreover, the Parliament of Portugal approved its first budget with a surplus in nearly 50 years in 2020.  

Prior to entering politics, Mário Centeno served as a consultant to the Central Bank of Portugal and was a professor at the University of Lisbon. He also spent nearly a decade as assistant director of the Central Bank Economics’ Department, during which time he concurrently served as a member of the European Commission’s Economic Policy Committee. 

Mário Centeno is a recipient of the Latin Union Award for Scientific Merit and Young Economist Award of the European Economic Association. He has held board of governors positions with several international organizations, including the Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, and Inter-American Investment Corporation. He holds a PhD in economics from Harvard University.