Leader of the Opposition (Portugal)

Leader of the largest party in the Portuguese parliament not within the government

Leader of the Opposition

Líder da Oposição

Logo of the biggest party in opposition

Incumbent
Pedro Nuno Santos

since 2 April 2024

Term length| No fixed term
While leader of the largest political party not in government
Inaugural holder| Francisco de Sá Carneiro
(of the Third Republic)
Formation| 23 July 1976 (informally)

The leader of the opposition (Portuguese: Líder da Oposição) 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 Social Democratic Party and the CDS – People's Party hold a minority coalition government. The Opposition consists of the Socialist Party, Enough!, Liberal Initiative, the Left Bloc, the Portuguese Communist Party, LIVRE, and the People–Animals–Nature.

The current leader of the opposition is Pedro Nuno Santos, since 2 April 2024, when Luís Montenegro took office as Prime Minister in the aftermath of the that year's snap legislative election the previous 10 March.

## Role

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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.[1]

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.[2]

## Graphical timeline (since 1976)

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## List of leaders of the opposition

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Colour key
(for political parties)

Socialist Party (PS)

Social Democratic Party (PSD)

Portuguese Communist Party (PCP)

CDS – People's Party (CDS)

Independent

Date (Start of term) | Main opposition party  | Party Leader  | Prime Minister (Term)

|
|
|

23 July 1976  |  | PSD |  | Francisco Sá Carneiro |  | Mário Soares
(1976–1978)
16 April 1977  |  | António de Sousa Franco
15 April 1978  |  | José Menéres Pimentel
2 July 1978  |  | Francisco Sá Carneiro
29 August 1978  |  | PS |  | Mário Soares |  | Alfredo Nobre da Costa
(1978)
Carlos Mota Pinto
(1978–1979)
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo
(1979–1980)
| Francisco Sá Carneiro
(1980)
| Diogo Freitas do Amaral (acting)
(1980–1981)
| Francisco Pinto Balsemão
(1981–1983)
9 June 1983  |  | PCP |  | Álvaro Cunhal |  | Mário Soares
(1983–1985)
6 November 1985  |  | PS |  | Mário Soares |  | Aníbal Cavaco Silva
(1985–1995)
13 November 1985  |  | António Macedo
29 June 1986  |  | Vítor Constâncio
6 November 1988  |

| Jorge Sampaio
23 February 1992  |  | António Guterres
28 October 1995  |  | PSD |  | Fernando Nogueira |  | António Guterres
(1995–2002)
29 March 1996  |  | Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
1 May 1999  |  | José Manuel Durão Barroso
6 April 2002  |  | PS |

| Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues |  | José Manuel Durão Barroso
(2002–2004)
Pedro Santana Lopes
(2004–2005)
24 September 2004  |  | José Sócrates
12 March 2005  |  | PSD |  | Pedro Santana Lopes |  | José Sócrates
(2005–2011)
10 April 2005  |  | Luís Marques Mendes
28 September 2007  |  | Luís Filipe Menezes
31 May 2008  |  | Manuela Ferreira Leite
26 March 2010  |  | Pedro Passos Coelho
21 June 2011  |  | PS |  | José Sócrates |  | Pedro Passos Coelho
(2011–2015)
23 July 2011  |

| António José Seguro
22 November 2014  |  | António Costa
26 November 2015  |  | PSD |  | Pedro Passos Coelho |  | António Costa
(2015–2024)
18 February 2018  |  | Rui Rio
3 July 2022  |  | Luís Montenegro
2 April 2024  |  | PS |  | Pedro Nuno Santos |  | Luís Montenegro
(2024–present)

## Leaders of the opposition by time in office

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Longest serving leader of the opposition Mário Soares, 4 years, 291 days. Shortest serving leader of the opposition Pedro Santana Lopes, 29 days. Rank by
length
of terms | Leader | Length by
time served | Number of
terms | General
elections
lost | Party

|
|
|
|
|

1 | Mário Soares | 4 years, 291 days | 2 | 2 | Socialist
2 | Rui Rio | 4 years, 135 days | 1 | 2 | Social Democratic
3 | António Guterres | 3 years, 247 days | 1 | 0 | Socialist
4 | Pedro Passos Coelho | 3 years, 171 days | 2 | 0 | Social Democratic
5 | Jorge Sampaio | 3 years, 109 days | 1 | 1 | Socialist
6 | António José Seguro | 3 years, 122 days | 1 | 0 | Socialist
7 | Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa | 3 years, 33 days | 1 | 0 | Social Democratic
8 | José Manuel Durão Barroso | 2 years, 340 days | 1 | 1 | Social Democratic
9 | Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues | 2 years, 171 days | 1 | 1 | Socialist
Luís Marques Mendes | 2 years, 171 days | 1 | 0 | Social Democratic
10 | Álvaro Cunhal | 2 years, 150 days | 1 | 1 | Communist
11 | Vítor Constâncio | 2 years, 130 days | 1 | 1 | Socialist
12 | Francisco Sá Carneiro | 2 years, 87 days | 2 | 1 | Social Democratic
13 | Manuela Ferreira Leite | 1 year, 299 days | 1 | 1 | Social Democratic
14 | Luís Montenegro | 1 year, 267 days | 1 | 0 | Social Democratic
15 | Pedro Nuno Santos | 1 year, 18 days (incumbent) | 1 | 1 | Socialist
16 | António Costa | 1 year, 4 days | 1 | 1 | Socialist
17 | António de Sousa Franco | 364 days | 1 | 0 | Social Democratic
18 | Luís Filipe Menezes | 246 days | 1 | 0 | Social Democratic
19 | António Macedo | 228 days | 1 | 0 | Socialist
20 | José Sócrates | 201 days | 2 | 0 | Socialist
21 | Fernando Nogueira | 153 days | 1 | 1 | Social Democratic
22 | José Menéres Pimentel | 78 days | 1 | 0 | Social Democratic
23 | Pedro Santana Lopes | 29 days | 1 | 1 | Social Democratic

## See also

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* Prime Minister of Portugal
* List of political parties in Portugal
* Assembly of the Republic

## References

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1. ^ Law of Precedences in the Portuguese State Protocol. Diário da República (Law 40/2006) (in Portuguese). 25 August 2006. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
2. ^ Eunice Lourenço, Rita Dinis. "Liderança à direita, lugar no Parlamento e unidade no PSD - os desafios e a tática de Luís Montenegro". Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 July 2022.

* v
* t
* e

Leaders of the opposition of Portugal

* Sá Carneiro (1976–1977)
* Sousa Franco (1977–1978)
* Menéres Pimentel (1978)
* Sá Carneiro (1978)
* Soares (1978–1983)
* Cunhal (1983–1985)
* Soares (1985)
* Macedo (1985–1986)
* Constâncio (1986–1988)
* Sampaio (1988–1992)
* Guterres (1992–1995)
* Nogueira (1995–1996)
* Rebelo de Sousa (1996–1999)
* Durão Barroso (1999–2002)
* Ferro Rodrigues (2002–2004)
* Sócrates (2004–2005)
* Santana Lopes (2005)
* Marques Mendes (2005–2007)
* Menezes (2007–2008)
* Ferreira Leite (2008–2010)
* Passos Coelho (2010–2011)
* Sócrates (2011)
* Seguro (2011–2014)
* Costa (2014–2015)
* Passos Coelho (2015–2018)
* Rio (2018–2022)
* Montenegro (2022–2024)
* Santos (2024-)

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