António de Sousa Franco

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António Luciano Pacheco de Sousa Franco, GCC, GCSE (Lisbon, September 21, 1942 – Hospital Pedro Hispano at Matosinhos, June 9, 2004) was a Portuguese economist and politician, son of António de Sousa Franco and wife Maria de Jesus Pacheco.

He joined the Popular Democratic Party, who adopted the name of Social Democratic Party, in 1976. In 1978, he was the interim leader of the party, due to Francisco Sá Carneiro absence. He latter left the party and was Finance Minister at Maria de Lurdes Pintasilgo government, in 1979.

He was the Account Court President and come close to the Socialist Party, during Aníbal Cavaco Silva governments. He was Finance Minister in the first socialist government lead by António Guterres, from 1995 to 1999. He was critical of the socialists in the following years, but accept to be the number one in the Socialist Party list for the European Parliament elections, in 2004. He died of a heart attack during the campaign, few days before the elections, as a result of trying to stop a quarrel between two of his Party elements.

He married in Coimbra at the Old Cathedral Maria Matilde Pessoa de Magalhães Figueiredo, born at São Domingos de Benfica, Lisbon, on July 8, 1943, a Licentiate in History, without issue.