| Joana Amaral Dias | |
|---|---|
 Amaral Dias in 2024 | |
| Member of the Assembly of the Republic | |
| In office 4 April 2002 – 9 March 2005 | |
| Constituency | Lisbon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joana Beatriz Nunes Vicente Amaral Dias (1975-05-03) 3 May 1975 (age 49) Luanda, Angola |
| Citizenship | Portugal |
| Political party | ADN (2024–present) |
| Other political affiliations | BE (2002–2014) PTP–MAS (2015) NC (2017) |
| Spouse(s) | Paulo Monteiro (div.) Pedro Pinto (m. 2022) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent | Carlos Amaral Dias [pt] (father) |
| Alma mater | University of Coimbra |
| Occupation | Clinical psychologist • Politician |
Joana Beatriz Nunes Vicente Amaral Dias (born 3 May 1975) is a Portuguese politician and clinical psychologist. She was member of the Portuguese Parliament for the Left Bloc (2002–2005). She is the National Democratic Alternative candidate to the 2026 Portuguese presidential election.
Amaral Dias was the National Democratic Alternative head of list for the 2024 European Parliament election.
Personal life
She is the daughter of psychiatrist Carlos Amaral Dias. Besides clinical practice, university teaching and scientific research, she is the author of numerous papers and scholarly articles. In 2010 she published the book Maníacos de Qualidade ("Maniacs of Quality"), a biographical and psychological analysis of historical figures in Portugal.
She attended the pharmacy program at the University of Coimbra as a freshwoman, however, she would graduate in psychology at the same university. She has a brother, Henrique, and a sister, Leonor. She is also half-sister of Carlota, from her father second marriage. Joana Amaral Dias is mother of a boy, Vicente, born in 1997 and girl, Luz born in 2016. Amaral Dias also formally adopted a boy in September 2019, though not many details have been released about the child.
Political career
She was one of the highest ranked party members of the Bloco de Esquerda (Left Bloc), although elected for member of the Portuguese Parliament as an independent (2002–2005). In the Portuguese presidential election, 2006 she was a supporter of Mário Soares with a mandate for the youth.
She is a columnist and political analyst. Joana Amaral Dias collaborated with the Diário de Notícias, TSF, SIC, and SIC Notícias. She authored the political column on RTP N and wrote in the newspaper Correio da Manhã and the blog Frontal Cortex.
Controversies
Joana is one of the standard bearers of the Covid vaccine skepticism in Portugal. She has propagated a narrative contrary to the medical and scientific consensus in her social media platforms, as well as on her regular TV appearances.
Her position is based on the premise that most of the specialists are regularly lying, as it has been alleged that many of them received directly or indirectly payments from big pharma, or exaggerate results, in order to advance their agenda.
Being one of the main covid vaccine critics, she has made several false or decontextualized statements. She has asserted that the Covid-19 vaccine does not reduce contagion. She has stated that for people under 50 years old the vaccine is more dangerous than covid-19.
The same logic is applied to her skepticism of climate change.
In reaction to the record breaking heat wave in London, Joana wrote in Novo Semanário that in June 1885 and July 1886 temperatures had been higher at 162°F and 155°F respectively. It is unclear where she obtained those numbers, as they would be higher than any atmospheric temperature ever recorded.
References
- "Biografia". www.parlamento.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- "Visão | ADN apoia candidatura de Joana Amaral Dias à Presidência da República". Visão (in European Portuguese). 2024-12-18. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
- "Visão | Joana Amaral Dias é a candidata do ADN às eleições europeias". Visão (in European Portuguese). 2024-04-16. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- (in Portuguese) Maníacos de Qualidade (ISBN 9789896262006), Wook.pt (Porto Editora)
- "Joana Amaral Dias - Joana Amaral Dias - Revela todos os pormenores da adoção do filho". VIP.pt (in European Portuguese). 2019-11-29. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- (in Portuguese) Joana Amaral Dias, Portuguese Parliament
- "AI aguenta, aguenta 2022". 2 January 2022.
- "Covid-19: A opinião de Joana Amaral Dias sobre a vacinação obrigatória".
- "Obedeçam". 27 June 2021.
- "Maior e vacinada me confesso". 24 October 2021.
- "Covid-19: A opinião de Joana Amaral Dias sobre a vacinação obrigatória".
- "Covid-19: A opinião de Joana Amaral Dias sobre a vacinação obrigatória".
- "Maior e vacinada me confesso". 24 October 2021.
- "Democracídio". Archived from the original on 2022-07-24. Retrieved 2022-07-24.