Leader of the Opposition (Portugal)


The Leader of the Opposition is an unofficial, mostly conventional and honorary title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party in the Assembly of the Republic – the Portuguese parliament – not within the government; historically, since the Carnation Revolution of 1974, these have almost always been the Socialist and the Social Democratic Parties.
Currently, the Socialist Party holds a minority government. The Opposition consists of the Social Democratic Party, the Left Bloc, the Portuguese Communist Party, CDS – People's Party, People–Animals–Nature, Ecologist Party "The Greens", Enough!, Liberal Initiative, and LIVRE.
The current Leader of the Opposition is Rui Rio, since 18 February 2018, after having been elected President of the Social Democratic Party on the previous 13 January.

Role

Due to its workings being based mostly on custom and convention, the Leader of the Opposition has a small official role, even though it is legally, honorifically, and nominally recognised. Law No. 40/2006, that establishes the order of precedence of public authorities in general official acts, places the Leader of the Opposition in eighth place in the list of precedences, only behind the President of the Republic, the legislative speaker, the sitting Prime Minister of Portugal, the presidents of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court, the presidents of the Supreme Administrative Court and the Court of Auditors, former presidents of the Republic, and sitting government ministers.
Even though the Leader of the Opposition is not entitled to a specific salary aside from the one they may have by reason of holding a public office on their own – such as that of deputy – the officeholder usually receives much more attention from the media in parliamentary sessions and activities. It is not, however, required for a Leader of the Opposition to hold the post of deputy in the Assembly of the Republic – Rui Rio, who currently leads the Opposition, held no parliamentary seat until 25 October 2019.

Graphical timeline (since 1976)


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from:23/06/1976 till:16/04/1977 color:PSD $right text:"1976–1977 Sá Carneiro "
from:16/04/1977 till:15/04/1978 color:PSD $left text:"Sousa Franco 1977–1978"
from:15/04/1978 till:02/07/1978 color:PSD $right text:"1978 Menéres Pimentel"
from:02/07/1978 till:29/08/1978 color:PSD $left text:"Sá Carneiro 1978"
from:29/08/1978 till:09/06/1983 color:PS $right text:"1978–1983 Mário Soares "
from:09/06/1983 till:06/11/1985 color:PCP $left text:"Álvaro Cunhal 1983–1985"
from:06/11/1985 till:13/11/1985 color:PS $right text:"1985 Mário Soares "
from:13/11/1985 till:29/06/1986 color:PS $left text:"António Macedo 1985–1986"
from:29/06/1986 till:06/11/1988 color:PS $right text:"1986–1988 Vítor Constâncio"
from:06/11/1988 till:23/02/1992 color:PS $left text:"Jorge Sampaio 1988–1992"
from:23/02/1992 till:28/10/1995 color:PS $right text:"1992–1995 António Guterres"
from:28/10/1995 till:29/03/1996 color:PSD $left text:"Fernando Nogueira 1995–1996"
from:29/03/1996 till:01/05/1999 color:PSD $right text:"1996–1999 Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa"
from:01/05/1999 till:06/04/2002 color:PSD $left text:"Durão Barroso 1999–2002"
from:06/04/2002 till:24/09/2004 color:PS $right text:"2002–2004 Ferro Rodrigues"
from:24/09/2004 till:12/03/2005 color:PS $left text:"José Sócrates 2004–2005 "
from:12/03/2005 till:10/04/2005 color:PSD $right text:"2005 Santana Lopes"
from:10/04/2005 till:28/09/2007 color:PSD $left text:"Marques Mendes 2005–2007"
from:28/09/2007 till:31/05/2008 color:PSD $right text:"2007–2008 Luís Filipe Menezes"
from:31/05/2008 till:26/03/2010 color:PSD $left text:"Manuela Ferreira Leite 2008–2010"
from:26/03/2010 till:21/06/2011 color:PSD $right text:"2010–2011 Passos Coelho "
from:21/06/2011 till:23/07/2011 color:PS $left text:"José Sócrates 2011 "
from:23/07/2011 till:22/11/2014 color:PS $right text:"2011–2014 António José Seguro"
from:22/11/2014 till:26/11/2015 color:PS $left text:"António Costa 2014–2015"
from:26/11/2015 till:18/02/2018 color:PSD $right text:"2015–2018 Passos Coelho "
from:18/02/2018 till:end color:PSD $left text:Rui Rio 2018–present"

List of Leaders of the Opposition