Portuguese Prime Minister José Socrates, 52, officially took office on 12 October, approved by President Anibal Cavaco Silva, a fortnight after his Socialist Party won legistlative elections. His party now has 97 seats in parliament out of 230, far from the absolute majority he had in his previous term with 121 seats. The opposition, on both right and left, had ruled out a coalition with the Socialists, leaving José Socrates to form a minority government. Portugal has previously had several minority governments, but only one finished its term, that of Socialist Antonio Guterres, from 1995 to 1999. Socrates was one of the European Socialists who strongly supported the Portguese centre-right José Manuel Barroso on his path to the European Commission.