The president, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, decided to move to reappoint Bento to the Council of State, his political advisory body, in the run-up to a meeting of that body that is expected to discuss early elections in the Madeira region, triggered by the resignation this week of regional premier, Alberto João Jardim.


Bento served at BES, following the resignation of the board that was triggered by the announcement of billions of euros in first-half losses, before the bank was wound up by the Bank of Portugal and split up. He subsequently served briefly as chief executive of its successor bank, Novo Banco.


He had previously been a member of the Council of State for five years, at a time when he was chief executive of SIBS, the company that runs Portugal's network of automatic teller machines.


Another place on the Council remains to be filled - that held by António José Seguro, who stepped down as leader of the opposition Socialist Party in September.