# Leader of the Opposition (Portugal)

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

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.

## List of leaders of the opposition

| 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 | PSD | António de Sousa Franco | Mário Soares (1976–1978) |
| 15 April 1978 | PSD | José Menéres Pimentel | Mário Soares (1976–1978) |
| 2 July 1978 | PSD | Francisco Sá Carneiro | Mário Soares (1976–1978) |
| 29 August 1978 | PS | Mário Soares | Alfredo Nobre da Costa (1978) |
| 29 August 1978 | PS | Mário Soares | Carlos Mota Pinto (1978–1979) |
| 29 August 1978 | PS | Mário Soares | Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo (1979–1980) |
| 29 August 1978 | PS | Mário Soares | Francisco Sá Carneiro (1980) |
| 29 August 1978 | PS | Mário Soares | Diogo Freitas do Amaral (acting) (1980–1981) |
| 29 August 1978 | PS | Mário Soares | 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 | PS | António Macedo | Aníbal Cavaco Silva (1985–1995) |
| 29 June 1986 | PS | Vítor Constâncio | Aníbal Cavaco Silva (1985–1995) |
| 6 November 1988 | PS | Jorge Sampaio | Aníbal Cavaco Silva (1985–1995) |
| 23 February 1992 | PS | António Guterres | Aníbal Cavaco Silva (1985–1995) |
| 28 October 1995 | PSD | Fernando Nogueira | António Guterres (1995–2002) |
| 29 March 1996 | PSD | Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa | António Guterres (1995–2002) |
| 1 May 1999 | PSD | José Manuel Durão Barroso | António Guterres (1995–2002) |
| 6 April 2002 | PS | Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues | José Manuel Durão Barroso (2002–2004) |
| 6 April 2002 | PS | Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues | Pedro Santana Lopes (2004–2005) |
| 24 September 2004 | PS | José Sócrates | Pedro Santana Lopes (2004–2005) |
| 12 March 2005 | PSD | Pedro Santana Lopes | José Sócrates (2005–2011) |
| 10 April 2005 | PSD | Luís Marques Mendes | José Sócrates (2005–2011) |
| 28 September 2007 | PSD | Luís Filipe Menezes | José Sócrates (2005–2011) |
| 31 May 2008 | PSD | Manuela Ferreira Leite | José Sócrates (2005–2011) |
| 26 March 2010 | PSD | Pedro Passos Coelho | José Sócrates (2005–2011) |
| 21 June 2011 | PS | José Sócrates | Pedro Passos Coelho (2011–2015) |
| 23 July 2011 | PS | António José Seguro | Pedro Passos Coelho (2011–2015) |
| 22 November 2014 | PS | António Costa | Pedro Passos Coelho (2011–2015) |
| 26 November 2015 | PSD | Pedro Passos Coelho | António Costa (2015–2024) |
| 18 February 2018 | PSD | Rui Rio | António Costa (2015–2024) |
| 3 July 2022 | PSD | Luís Montenegro | António Costa (2015–2024) |
| 2 April 2024 | PS | Pedro Nuno Santos | Luís Montenegro (2024–present) |

## Leaders of the opposition by time in office

| 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 |
| 9 | 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 | António Costa | 1 year, 4 days | 1 | 1 | Socialist |
| 16 | António de Sousa Franco | 364 days | 1 | 0 | Social Democratic |
| 17 | Pedro Nuno Santos | 336 days (incumbent) | 1 | 1 | Socialist |
| 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 |