Sá Carneiro, Francisco

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Francisco Sá Carneiro, 1934–80, Portuguese political leader. A liberal reformer, he founded the Social Democratic party in 1974, following the coup that ended repression in Portugal, and in 1979 formed the Democratic Alliance, a center-right coalition. After becoming premier in 1980, he excluded military officers from the cabinet and introduced major democratic reforms. He died in a plane crash.