{{Short description|Portuguese historian and politician (born 1972)}} {{Portuguese name|Tavares|Pereira}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Rui Tavares | image = File:Rui Tavares (2024) (cropped).jpg | office1 = Member of the Assembly of the Republic | term_start1 = 29 March 2022 | term_end1 = | constituency1 = Lisbon | office2 = Councillor of Lisbon | term_start2 = 18 October 2021 | term_end2 = 11 November 2025 | constituency2 = At-large | office3 = Member of the European Parliament | term_start3 = 14 July 2009 | term_end3 = 30 June 2014 | constituency3 = Portugal | birth_name = Rui Miguel Marcelino Tavares Pereira | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|7|29|df=y}} | birth_place = Lisbon, Portugal | death_date = | death_place = | party = LIVRE (2014–present) | spouse = | children = 2<ref name="Monteiro2022">{{cite web |url=https://sicnoticias.pt/eleicoes-legislativas/rui-tavares-a-infancia-entre-arrifana-e-lisboa-as-polemicas-com-louca-e-joacine-e-a-eco-geringonca/ |title=Rui Tavares: a infância entre Arrifana e Lisboa, as polémicas com Louçã e Joacine e a "eco-geringonça" |trans-title=Rui Tavares: the childhood between Arrifana and Lisbon, the controversies with Louçã and Joacine, and the "eco-contraption" |language=pt |last=Monteiro |first=Ana Luísa |date=25 January 2022 |website=SIC Notícias |publisher= |access-date=5 February 2022 |quote=}}</ref> | profession = {{hlist|Historian| translator}} | alma_mater = NOVA University Lisbon<br>École des hautes études en sciences sociales (PhD) | other_party = Left Bloc (2009–2011)<br>Greens/EFA (2011–2014) | caption = Tavares in 2024 | partner = Marta Loja Neves }} '''Rui Miguel Marcelino Tavares Pereira''' (born 29 July 1972) is a Portuguese historian and politician. He has been elected {{MP PT}} in the 2022, 2024 and 2025 legislative elections.
Tavares is one of the founders and leaders of the green political party LIVRE, established in 2014. He had previously served as an independent Member of the European Parliament, elected in 2009 for the Left Bloc.
== Early life and career == Rui Tavares was born in Lisbon on 29 July 1972, to a bank clerk (and occasionally shepherd) father and a homemaker mother. Tavares had two older half-siblings (born of his father's first marriage; cut short when he became a widower) and two older siblings.<ref name="Público2010">{{cite web |url=https://www.publico.pt/2011/01/02/jornal/quando-a-democracia-fizer-48-anos-rui-tavaresabandona-a-politica-20909982 |title=Quando a democracia fizer 48 anos, Rui Tavares abandona a política |trans-title=When Democracy turns 48, Rui Tavares will abandon politics |language=pt |last=Mota Ribeiro |first=Anabela |date=2 January 2011 |website=Público |publisher= |access-date=5 February 2022 |quote=}}</ref>
The family was originally from the small rural village of Arrifana, in Azambuja, in the Ribatejo Province, where Tavares spent part of his childhood. The area had a significant labour movement background, influenced by republicanism and anarcho-syndicalism in the early 20th century: the anti-Christian spirit of the First Portuguese Republic saw the local parish priest temporarily banished from the town and, unusually for the traditionally Catholic country, it then gained a significant Evangelical Baptist population. The Protestant denomination was indirectly introduced in the town by an atheist great-uncle of Tavares, who invited a Baptist pastor to the village to spite the Catholic hierarchy.<ref name="Público2010"/>
Living with his parents and his next older brother, Tavares attended primary school in Arrifana; of his much older siblings, his sister was already married at the time, and the two other brothers were attending university, one in Lisbon and the other in Czechoslovakia (sponsored by the Portuguese Communist Youth, of which he was a member).<ref name="Público2010"/> Tavares's next older brother attended secondary school in Azambuja and used to bring him books from the school library; by his own admission, Tavares was "bookish" ever since his mother taught him how to read, and he took great pride in having read ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' and ''Huckleberry Finn'' at this time "as they should be read: perched up in a tree".<ref name="Público2010"/> He became interested in politics at around age 11 or 12, when he started reading anything he could on the different political ideologies at the Municipal Library in Penha de França, and became fascinated with anarchism and left-libertarianism.<ref name="Público2010"/>
Tavares earned a licentiate in History of Art from the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of NOVA University Lisbon in 1994, a master's degree in Social Sciences from the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon in 1998, and a doctorate in History from the École des hautes études en sciences sociales, in Paris, in 2014.<ref name="iscte">{{cite web |url=https://cei.iscte-iul.pt/equipa/rui-tavares/ |title=Investigadores: Instituições, Governação e Relações Internacionais - Rui Tavares |website=Centro de Estudos Internacionais |publisher=ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon |access-date=10 February 2022 |quote=}}</ref> He taught at university level for two years.<ref name="Monteiro2022"/><ref name="Público2010"/>
== Political career == [[File:Rui Tavares (8642707968).jpg|thumb|Rui Tavares, Member of the European Parliament, at a meeting of the Greens–European Free Alliance.]] He was elected Member of the European Parliament in 2009 for the Left Bloc. In June 2011, Tavares became an independent within the Greens–European Free Alliance group.<ref>{{cite news |date=22 June 2011 |title=Rui Tavares corta ligação ao BE e muda de bancada no Parlamento Europeu |url=http://www.publico.pt/Pol%C3%ADtica/rui-tavares-corta-ligacao-ao-be-e-muda-de-bancada-no-parlamento-europeu_1499728 |newspaper=Público |publisher=publico.pt |access-date=5 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110625161827/http://www.publico.pt/Pol%C3%ADtica/rui-tavares-corta-ligacao-ao-be-e-muda-de-bancada-no-parlamento-europeu_1499728 |archivedate=25 June 2011 }}</ref> During his time at the European Parliament, he focused on refugee and fundamental rights issues.
=== Tavares Report === In June 2013, he was commissioned by the European Parliament to submit a report on Hungarian constitutional concerns. The Tavares Report urged the Hungarian authorities "to implement as swiftly as possible all the measures the European Commission as the guardian of the treaties deems necessary in order to fully comply with EU law... [and with] the decisions of the Hungarian Constitutional Court and... the recommendations of the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe and other international bodies…".<ref name="europa1">{{cite web |author=cs - čeština |date= |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&reference=A7-2013-0229&language=EN |title=REPORT on the situation of fundamental rights: standards and practices in Hungary (pursuant to the European Parliament resolution of 16 February 2012) - A7-0229/2013 |publisher=europarl.europa.eu |accessdate=2014-04-15}}</ref>
=== LIVRE === [[File:Rui Tavares - X Congresso do LIVRE 2021.png|thumb|left|Rui Tavares speaks during the 10th Congress of LIVRE, in 2021]] In 2014, he founded the new party LIVRE.
In the 2021 local elections, Tavares was elected member of the Lisbon City Council.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jn.pt/local/noticias/lisboa/lisboa/livre-elegeu-rui-tavares-em-lisboa-14166718.html |title=Livre elegeu Rui Tavares em Lisboa |language=pt |trans-title=LIVRE gets Rui Tavares elected in Lisbon |date=27 September 2021 |website=Jornal de Notícias |publisher= |access-date=20 October 2021 |quote=}}</ref> Tavares had run alongside incumbent Mayor Fernando Medina on the electoral list of the "''Mais Lisboa''" coalition (Socialist Party and LIVRE), to be the councillor with the "Human Rights, Knowledge, Science, and Culture" portfolio on a Socialist-led City Council. The majority, however, was won by the "''Novos Tempos''" coalition (PSD/CDS–PP/Alliance/MPT/PPM); Tavares stated his intention to serve as opposition within the City Council to the new centre-right Mayor, Carlos Moedas.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tsf.pt/portugal/politica/os-tres-vereadores-do-livre-e-cidadaos-por-lisboa-vao-ser-oposicao-a-moedas-14173725.html |title=Os três vereadores do Livre e Cidadãos por Lisboa vão ser oposição a Moedas |language=pt |trans-title=The three councillors from LIVRE and Citizens for Lisbon will be opposition to Moedas |last=Domingues |first=Nuno |date=29 September 2021 |website= |publisher=TSF |access-date=20 October 2021 |quote=}}</ref>
Tavares was elected Member of the Assembly of the Republic in the 2022 legislative election for the Lisbon constituency. Tavares pledged to get António Costa, who was re-elected Prime Minister with an absolute majority, to work with other left-wing parties.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2022-01-31|title=O Livre faz oito anos, Rui Tavares vai ser deputado e Ana vai pintar o cabelo de verde. Cantam todos juntos por "uma terra sem amos"|language=PT|work=CNN Portugal|url=https://cnnportugal.iol.pt/eleicoes-legislativas/o-livre-faz-oito-anos-rui-tavares-vai-ser-deputado-e-ana-vai-pintar-o-cabelo-de-verde-cantam-todos-juntos-por-uma-terra-sem-amos/20300125/61f742b50cf2c7ea0f164c2f|access-date=2022-01-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Pincho |first1=João Pedro |title=A festa de anos do Livre teve a eleição de Rui Tavares como brinde |url=https://www.publico.pt/2022/01/31/politica/noticia/festa-anos-livre-eleicao-rui-tavares-brinde-1993662 |access-date=31 January 2022 |work=Público |date=31 January 2022 |language=Portuguese}}</ref>
==Electoral history== ===European Parliament election, 2014=== {{Main|2014 European Parliament election in Portugal}}
{{election table|title=Ballot: 25 May 2014}} |- ! colspan="2" | Party ! Candidate ! Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|% ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|Seats ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|+/− |- | style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}};"| | align="left"|PS | align=left |Francisco Assis || 1,034,249 || 31.5 || '''8''' || style="color:green;"| +1 |- | style="background:{{party color|Portugal Ahead}};"| | align="left"|PSD/CDS–PP | align=left |Paulo Rangel || 910,647 || 27.7 || '''7''' || style="color:red;"| –3 |- | style="background:{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}};"| | align="left"| CDU | align=left |João Ferreira || 416,925 || 12.7 || '''3''' || style="color:green;"| +1 |- | style="background:{{party color|Earth Party}};"| | align="left"| MPT | align=left |Marinho e Pinto || 234,788 || 7.2 || '''2''' || style="color:green;"| +2 |- | style="background:{{party color|Left Bloc (Portugal)}};"| | align="left"| BE | align=left |Marisa Matias || 149,764 || 4.6 || '''1''' || style="color:red;"| –2 |- | style="background:{{party color|LIVRE}};"| | align="left"| Livre | align=left |'''Rui Tavares''' || 71,495 || 2.2 || '''0''' || ''new'' |- | style="background:teal;"| | align="left"| PAN | align=left |Orlando Figueiredo || 56,431 || 1.7 || '''0''' || ''new'' |- | style="background:{{party color|Communist Party of the Portuguese Workers / Reorganizative Movement of the Party of the Proletariat}};"| | align="left"| PCTP/MRPP | align=left |Leopoldo Mesquita || 54,708 || 1.7 || '''0''' || ±0 |- | style="background:white;"| | colspan="2" align="left"| Other parties | 111,765 || 3.4 || '''0''' || ±0 |- | colspan="3" align="left"| Blank/Invalid ballots | 243,681 || 7.4 || – || – |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" | colspan="3" align="left"| '''Turnout''' | '''3,284,452''' || '''33.67''' || '''21''' || style="color:red;"| '''–1''' |- | colspan="7" align=left|Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cne.pt/sites/default/files/dl/pe_2014_mapa_resultados_dr_0.pdf |title=Comissão Nacional de Eleições Mapa Oficial n.º 1/2014 |work=Diário da República |date=24 June 2014 |access-date=7 August 2024}}</ref> |}
===European Parliament election, 2019=== {{Main|2019 European Parliament election in Portugal}}
{{election table|title=Ballot: 26 May 2019}} |- ! colspan="2" | Party ! Candidate ! Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|% ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|Seats ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|+/− |- | style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}};"| | align="left"|PS | align=left |Pedro Marques || 1,104,694 || 33.4 || '''9''' || style="color:green;"| +1 |- | style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}};"| | align="left"|PSD | align=left |Paulo Rangel || 725,399 || 21.9 || '''6''' || ±0 |- | style="background:{{party color|Left Bloc (Portugal)}};"| | align="left"| BE | align=left |Marisa Matias || 325,093 || 9.8 || '''2''' || style="color:green;"| +1 |- | style="background:{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}};"| | align="left"| CDU | align=left |João Ferreira || 228,045 || 6.9 || '''2''' || style="color:red;"| –1 |- | style="background:{{party color|CDS – People's Party}};"| | align="left"| CDS–PP | align=left |Nuno Melo || 204,792 || 6.2 || '''1''' || ±0 |- | style="background:teal;"| | align="left"| PAN | align=left |Francisco Guerreiro || 168,015 || 5.1 || '''1''' || style="color:green;"| +1 |- | style="background:#6AD1E3;"| | align="left"| Alliance | align=left |Paulo Sande || 61,652 || 1.9 || '''0''' || ''new'' |- | style="background:{{party color|LIVRE}};"| | align="left"| Livre | align=left |'''Rui Tavares''' || 60,446 || 1.8 || '''0''' || ±0 |- | style="background:#202056;"| | align="left"| Basta! | align=left |André Ventura || 49,388 || 1.5 || '''0''' || ''new'' |- | style="background:gold;"| | align="left"| NC | align=left |Paulo de Morais || 34,634 || 1.1 || '''0''' || ''new'' |- | style="background:white;"| | colspan="2" align="left"| Other parties | 116,743 || 2.7 || '''0''' || ±0 |- | colspan="3" align="left"| Blank/Invalid ballots | 235,748 || 3.5 || – || – |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" | colspan="3" align="left"| '''Turnout''' | '''3,307,644''' || '''30.75''' || '''21''' || ±0 |- | colspan="7" align=left|Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cne.pt/sites/default/files/dl/2019_pe_mapa_resultados.pdf |title=Comissão Nacional de Eleições Mapa Oficial n.º 5/2019 |work=Diário da República |date=18 June 2019 |access-date=7 August 2024}}</ref> |}
===Legislative election, 2022=== {{Main|2022 Portuguese legislative election}}
{{election table|title=Ballot: 30 January 2022}} |- ! colspan="2" | Party ! Candidate ! Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|% ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|Seats ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|+/− |- | style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}};"| | align="left"|PS | align=left |António Costa || 2,302,601 || 41.4 || '''120''' || style="color:green;"| +12 |- | style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}};"| | align="left"|PSD | align=left |Rui Rio || 1,618,381 || 29.1 || '''77''' || style="color:red;"| –2 |- | style="background:#202056;"| | align="left"| Chega | align=left |André Ventura || 399,659 || 7.2 || '''12''' || style="color:green;"| +11 |- | style="background:{{party color|Liberal Initiative}};"| | align="left"| IL | align=left |João Cotrim Figueiredo || 273,687|| 4.9 || '''8''' || style="color:green;"| +7 |- | style="background:{{party color|Left Bloc (Portugal)}};"| | align="left"| BE | align=left |Catarina Martins ||244,603 || 4.4 || '''5''' || style="color:red;"| –14 |- | style="background:{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}};"| | align="left"| CDU | align=left |Jerónimo de Sousa ||238,920 || 4.3 || '''6''' || style="color:red;"| –6 |- | style="background:{{party color|CDS – People's Party}};"| | align="left"| CDS–PP | align=left |Rodrigues dos Santos || 89,181 || 1.6 || '''0''' || style="color:red;"| –5 |- | style="background:teal;"| | align="left"| PAN | align=left |Inês Sousa Real || 88,152 || 1.6 || '''1''' || style="color:red;"| –3 |- | style="background:{{party color|LIVRE}};"| | align="left"| Livre | align=left |'''Rui Tavares''' || 71,232 || 1.3 || '''1''' || ±0 |- | style="background:white;"| | colspan="2" align="left"| Other parties | 91,299 || 1.6 || '''0''' || ±0 |- | colspan="3" align="left"| Blank/Invalid ballots | 146,824 || 2.6 || – || – |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" | colspan="3" align="left"| '''Turnout''' | '''5,564,539''' || '''51.46''' || '''230''' || '''±0''' |- | colspan="7" align=left|Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cne.pt/sites/default/files/dl/2022ar_mapa_oficial_resultados.pdf |title=Mapa Oficial n.º 1/2022 |work=Comissão Nacional de Eleições |date=26 March 2022 |access-date=1 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401072948/https://www.cne.pt/sites/default/files/dl/2022ar_mapa_oficial_resultados.pdf |archive-date=1 April 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> |}
===Legislative election, 2024=== {{Main|2024 Portuguese legislative election}}
{{election table|title=Ballot: 10 March 2024}} |- ! colspan="2" | Party ! Candidate ! Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|% ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|Seats ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|+/− |- | style="background:{{party color|Democratic Alliance (Portugal, 2024)}};"| | align="left"|AD | align=left |Luís Montenegro || 1,867,442 || 28.8 || '''80''' || style="color:green;"| +3 |- | style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}};"| | align="left"|PS | align=left |Pedro Nuno Santos || 1,812,443 || 28.0 || '''78''' || style="color:red;"| –42 |- | style="background:#202056;"| | align="left"| Chega | align=left |André Ventura || 1,169,781 || 18.1 || '''50''' || style="color:green;"| +38 |- | style="background:{{party color|Liberal Initiative}};"| | align="left"| IL | align=left |Rui Rocha || 319,877 || 4.9 || '''8''' || ±0 |- | style="background:{{party color|Left Bloc (Portugal)}};"| | align="left"| BE | align=left |Mariana Mortágua || 282,314 || 4.4 || '''5''' || ±0 |- | style="background:{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}};"| | align="left"| CDU | align=left |Paulo Raimundo || 205,551 || 3.2 || '''4''' || style="color:red;"| –2 |- | style="background:{{party color|LIVRE}};"| | align="left"| Livre | align=left |'''Rui Tavares''' || 204,875 || 3.2 || '''4''' || style="color:green;"| +3 |- | style="background:teal;"| | align="left"| PAN | align=left |Inês Sousa Real || 126,125 || 2.0 || '''1''' || ±0 |- | style="background:#1D4E89;"| | align="left"| ADN | align=left |Bruno Fialho || 102,134 || 1.6 || '''0''' || ±0 |- | style="background:white;"| | colspan="2" align="left"| Other parties | 104,167 || 1.6 || '''0''' || ±0 |- | colspan="3" align="left"| Blank/Invalid ballots | 282,243 || 4.4 || – || – |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" | colspan="3" align="left"| '''Turnout''' | '''6,476,952''' || '''59.90''' || '''230''' || '''±0''' |- | colspan="7" align=left|Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cne.pt/sites/default/files/dl/2024_ar_mapa_oficial_dr.pdf |title=Comissão Nacional de Eleições Mapa Oficial n.º 2-A/2024 |work=Comissão Nacional de Eleições |date=23 March 2024 |access-date=23 March 2024}}</ref> |}
===Legislative election, 2025=== {{Main|2025 Portuguese legislative election}}
{{election table|title=Ballot: 18 May 2025}} |- ! colspan="2" | Party ! Candidate ! Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|% ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|Seats ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|+/− |- | style="background:{{party color|Democratic Alliance (Portugal, 2024)}};"| | align="left"|AD | align=left |Luís Montenegro || 2,008,488 || 31.8 || '''91''' || style="color:green;"| +11 |- | style="background:{{party color|Socialist Party (Portugal)}};"| | align="left"|PS | align=left |Pedro Nuno Santos || 1,442,546 || 22.8 || '''58''' || style="color:red;"| –20 |- | style="background:#202056;"| | align="left"| Chega | align=left |André Ventura || 1,438,554 || 22.8 || '''60''' || style="color:green;"| +10 |- | style="background:{{party color|Liberal Initiative}};"| | align="left"| IL | align=left |Rui Rocha || 338,974 || 5.4 || '''9''' || style="color:green;"| +1 |- | style="background:{{party color|LIVRE}};"| | align="left"| Livre | align=left |'''Rui Tavares''' || 257,291 || 4.1 || '''6''' || style="color:green;"| +2 |- | style="background:{{party color|Unitary Democratic Coalition}};"| | align="left"| CDU | align=left |Paulo Raimundo || 183,686 || 2.9 || '''3''' || style="color:red;"| –1 |- | style="background:{{party color|Left Bloc (Portugal)}};"| | align="left"| BE | align=left |Mariana Mortágua || 125,808 || 2.0 || '''1''' || style="color:red;"| –4 |- | style="background:teal;"| | align="left"| PAN | align=left |Inês Sousa Real || 86,930 || 1.4 || '''1''' || ±0 |- | style="background:#1D4E89;"| | align="left"| ADN | align=left |Bruno Fialho || 81,660 || 1.3 || '''0''' || ±0 |- | style="background:white;"| | colspan="2" align="left"| Other parties | 95,384 || 1.5 || '''1''' || style="color:green;"| +1 |- | colspan="3" align="left"| Blank/Invalid ballots | 260,648 || 4.1 || – || – |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" | colspan="3" align="left"| '''Turnout''' | '''6,319,969''' || '''58.25''' || '''230''' || '''±0''' |- | colspan="7" align=left|Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições<ref>{{cite news |url=https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/mapa-oficial/2-a-2025-920155552|title=Mapa Oficial n.º 2-A/2025, de 31 de maio |language=pt |publisher=Diário da República|location=Lisbon |date=31 May 2025|access-date=31 May 2025}}</ref> |}
==Footnotes== {{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tavares, Rui}} Category:1972 births Category:Left Bloc MEPs Category:Living people Category:LIVRE politicians Category:Members of the 15th Assembly of the Republic (Portugal) Category:Members of the 16th Assembly of the Republic (Portugal) Category:Members of the 17th Assembly of the Republic (Portugal) Category:MEPs for Portugal 2009–2014 Category:Politicians from Lisbon