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Portuguese PM Pedro Passos Coelho

Position: Portuguese Prime Minister Incumbent: Pedro Passos Coelho Date of Birth: July 24, 1964 Term: June 2011-Oct 2015 Candidate for reelection in Oct. 4 2015 general election Key facts: -- Steered Portugal through an acute debt crisis, implementing painful austerity under an international bailout. The belt-tightening contributed to the worst recession since the 1970s before allowing the country to exit the rescue program in 2014 with the economy now growing again. -- Often criticized by the opposition for having willingly applied tougher measures than required by the so-called Troika of EU/IMF lenders. Has acknowledged that he wanted "to go beyond the Troika" to swiftly reconquer investor confidence. -- Generally reserved and not prone to emotional or humorous comments, Passos Coelho is known for the phrase "To hell with elections, what matters is saving Portugal" uttered at the height of the crisis in 2012 as he defended his highly unpopular austerity measures. -- Had to reverse a decreed cut in social security tax for companies after hundreds of thousands took to the streets in 2012 to protest the measure as it also involved a higher tax rate for individuals. That was the largest anti-austerity rally during the crisis. -- Triggered snap election in 2011 when his party rejected a budget package by the previous minority Socialist government, which subsequently collapsed. He promised that there would be no tax hikes or pension cuts under his administration as it would cut spending instead. Imposed the largest tax hikes in living memory and cut pensions, while spending was trimmed only slightly. -- Defied criticism of having had limited political experience to lead his Social Democratic Party (PSD) to a convincing election win in 2011. -- Formed a majority government with the rightist CDS-PP. The coalition survived an internal crisis in 2013 and the two parties are running in this election as an alliance with opinion polls pointing it could win, if short of parliament majority. -- Started in politics in the PSD's youth branch aged 14 and quickly rose to become its leader. Re-emerged from relative political obscurity in 2008 after working in consultancies and as an executive at a company run by a fellow Social Democrat. He also lectured applied economics to future teachers. -- Born to a country doctor's family in 1964, he spent his early life in Angola, where his father practiced medicine, then returned with the family to live in the remote town of Vila Real, in northern Portugal. -- Dapper, if lacking charisma, Passos Coelho is an avid fado and opera singer. He has two daughters from his first marriage, to a pop singer from a 1980s girl band, and one with his current wife -- a physiotherapist from Guinea Bissau. (Reporting by Andrei Khalip, editing by Axel Bugge)