Leader of the Opposition (Portugal)

The Leader of the Opposition (Portuguese: Líder da Oposição) is an unofficial honorary title given to the leader of the largest party in the Assembly of the Republic.

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)

List of leaders of the opposition

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)