João Oliveira (politician)
João Oliveira | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of the European Parliament for Portugal | |
| Assumed office 16 July 2024 | |
| Member of the Assembly of the Republic | |
| In office 29 January 2007 – 28 March 2022 | |
| Constituency | Évora |
| Personal details | |
| Born | João Guilherme Ramos Rosa de Oliveira 9 July 1979 Évora, Portugal |
| Party | Portuguese Communist Party |
| Alma mater | University of Coimbra |
| Occupation | Lawyer • Politician |
João Guilherme Ramos Rosa de Oliveira (born 9 July 1979) is a Portuguese lawyer and politician. Currently he is a MEP for the Portuguese Communist Party in the far-left political group The Left (GUE/NGL).
Career
He was a member of the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic for the Portuguese Communist Party, from 2007 to 2022. He was always elected by the constituency of Évora, as a member of the Unitary Democratic Coalition lists for that same constituency.[1] He was not re-elected in the 2022 legislative elections, given that the CDU lost the seat it had in Évora to the Social Democratic Party, for the first time since 1976.[2]
Oliveira was the CDU candidate to the 2024 European elections.[3] He secured election as a Member of the European Parliament for the Tenth European Parliament.[4]
In 2025, he ran for Mayor of Évora, to replace the outgoing Communist mayor Carlos Pinto de Sá.[5] He lost against Socialist candidate Carlos Zorrinho, coming third place with 15.8% of the votes.[6]
Political positions
During his tenure in the European Parliament, he has frequently voted against resolutions critical of Russia, China, and other governments accused of human rights violations. He has refused to explicitly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has blamed the conflict on the United States, NATO, and the European Union.[7][8]
Oliveira opposed multiple resolutions condemning Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including resolutions addressing the human cost of the war, the continued bombing of civilians, the situation of illegally detained civilians and prisoners of war, and the need to maintain EU support for Ukraine.[9][10][11] He also voted against rejecting false historical claims used to justify the invasion of Ukraine and condemning Russia’s failure to establish accountability for Soviet crimes.[12][13]
He voted against resolutions condemning violations of religious freedom in Tibet, and China's continued military provocations around Taiwan.[14][15] He was one of nine MEPs to vote against condemning the conviction and sentencing of pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong, in the context of state security laws being used to eliminate independent media, free speech and political opposition in Hong Kong.[16]
In 2025, Oliveira abstained on the resolution on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material.[17] He criticized the resolution for placing an excessive emphasis on increasing criminal penalties.[18]
He was the only MEP in The Left group to vote against a resolution stating that Hungary is violating the values on which the EU is founded, including the rule of law, amid ongoing democratic backsliding.[19]
Electoral history
European Parliament election, 2024
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Seats | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS | Marta Temido | 1,268,915 | 32.1 | 8 | –1 | |
| AD | Sebastião Bugalho | 1,229,895 | 31.1 | 7 | ±0 | |
| Chega | António Tânger Corrêa | 387,068 | 9.8 | 2 | +2 | |
| IL | João Cotrim de Figueiredo | 358,811 | 9.1 | 2 | +2 | |
| BE | Catarina Martins | 168,107 | 4.3 | 1 | –1 | |
| CDU | João Oliveira | 162,630 | 4.1 | 1 | –1 | |
| Livre | Francisco Paupério | 148,572 | 3.8 | 0 | ±0 | |
| ADN | Joana Amaral Dias | 54,120 | 1.4 | 0 | ±0 | |
| PAN | Pedro Fidalgo Marques | 48,006 | 1.2 | 0 | –1 | |
| Other parties | 48,647 | 1.2 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Blank/Invalid ballots | 77,208 | 2.0 | – | – | ||
| Turnout | 3,951,979 | 36.63 | 21 | ±0 | ||
| Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições[20] | ||||||
Évora City Council election, 2025
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Seats | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS | Carlos Zorrinho | 8,169 | 29.8 | 3 | +1 | |
| PSD/CDS/PPM | Henrique Sim-Sim | 8,013 | 29.3 | 2 | ±0 | |
| CDU | João Oliveira | 4,332 | 15.8 | 1 | –1 | |
| CH | Rúben Miguéis | 3,816 | 13.9 | 1 | +1 | |
| MCE | Florbela Fernandes | 1,856 | 6.8 | 0 | –1 | |
| BE | Pedro Ferreira | 343 | 1.3 | 0 | ±0 | |
| IL | Fábio Cabaço | 252 | 0.9 | 0 | new | |
| Blank/Invalid ballots | 602 | 2.2 | – | – | ||
| Turnout | 27,383 | 59.41 | 7 | ±0 | ||
| Source: Autárquicas 2025[21] | ||||||
References
- ^ Lusa (29 January 2007). "Abílio Fernandes substituído na bancada do PCP por João Oliveira". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Évora: PSD tira lugar a líder parlamentar comunista João Oliveira". www.jornaldenegocios.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "João Oliveira encabeça lista do PCP às europeias". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ Jerónimo, Mariana (9 June 2024). "Quem são os 21 eurodeputados que Portugal vai enviar para o Parlamento Europeu?" [Who are the 21 MEPs that Portugal is sending to the European Parliament?]. SIC Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- ^ "Eleições autárquicas: João Oliveira é cabeça de lista da CDU à câmara de Évora". SIC Notícias (in Portuguese). 12 February 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
- ^ Renascença (13 October 2025). "Socialista Carlos Zorrinho conquista Câmara de Évora à CDU - Renascença". Rádio Renascença (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 22 December 2025.
- ^ "Portuguese Communist MEP João Oliveira's Pro-Russia Leanings - Brussels Watch". 19 December 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "Relato integral dos debates". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "Minutes - Results of roll-call votes". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "Vote results: The human cost of Russia's war against Ukraine and the urgent need to end Russian aggression: the situation of illegally detained civilians and prisoners of war, and the continued bombing of civilians". HowTheyVote.eu. 9 July 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "Vote results: Continuing the unwavering EU support for Ukraine, after three years of Russia's war of aggression". HowTheyVote.eu. 12 March 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "Vote results: Russia's disinformation and historical falsification to justify its war of aggression against Ukraine". HowTheyVote.eu. 23 January 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "MEPs condemn Russia's use of disinformation to justify its war in Ukraine | News | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. 23 January 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "Vote results: Violations of religious freedom in Tibet". HowTheyVote.eu. 8 May 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "Vote results: People's Republic of China's misinterpretation of the UN resolution 2758 and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan". HowTheyVote.eu. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "Vote results: Conviction and imminent sentencing of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong". HowTheyVote.eu. 22 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "Vote results: Combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA (recast)". HowTheyVote.eu. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "Verbatim report of proceedings". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "Vote results: Existence of a clear risk of a serious breach by Hungary of the values on which the Union is founded". HowTheyVote.eu. 25 November 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ "Comissão Nacional de Eleições Mapa Oficial n.º 4/2024" (PDF). Comissão Nacional de Eleições. 28 June 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
- ^ "Autárquicas 2025". SGMAI. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
