24 Facts About Rui Rio

Rui Fernando da Silva Rio was born on 6 August 1957 and is a Portuguese economist and retired politician of the Social Democratic Party.

Rui Rio is Vice-President of the General Assembly of the Order of Chartered Accountants.

Rui Rio was the financial director of the CIN paint factory, with special responsibility for the company's relationship with the Capital Markets.

Rui Rio held the positions of member of the Supervisory Board of Caixa Geral de Depositos, of non-executive director of the company Metro do Porto and Chairman of 32 Senses SGPS.

Rui Rio was President of the general meeting of the Northern Regional Section Bureau of the Order of Economists.

Rui Rio published Politica In Situ and Analysis of the Regional Distribution of Public Investment, with articles published in the newspapers O Comercio do Porto, Publico and Diario Economico.

Rui Rio was distinguished with the Marketing Cities and Regions Personality Award in 2004 and, in 2005, with the Alfredo Cesar Torres Award.

Rui Rio began his political career as part of the Juventude Social-Democrata, the Social Democrats' youth organization.

Rui Rio was Vice President of its National Political Commission from 1982 to 1984.

Rui Rio was deputy to the Assembly of the Republic, elected for Porto, between 1991 and 2002.

In 2001, Rui Rio was elected president of the City Hall of Porto.

Rui Rio's term ended on 22 October 2013, when the new mayor Rui Moreira took office.

In 2018, Rui Rio won the race to become leader of the PSD after campaigning to hold the party on a centrist line.

Amid criticism at his leadership, Rui Rio won a confidence motion by 75 to 50 votes in the party's National Council in early 2019, only after a 10-hour debate.

In January 2020, Rui Rio fended off another leadership challenge on a promise to keep the leading opposition force on a centrist course.

Rui Rio took office on 17 December 2021, at the 39th National Congress of the Party, which took place in Santa Maria da Feira, under the motto "New Horizons for Portugal".

On 28 May 2022, the day Luis Montenegro was elected leader of the Social Democratic Party, Rui Rio announced his departure from active politics.

On 12 September 2022, Rui Rio resigned his Assembly of the Republic seat, which became effective two days later.

Rui Rio was a critic of austerity and has sought to distance himself from the remedies adopted by Pedro Passos Coelho and the European troika in response to the eurozone economic crisis and the Economic Adjustment Programme for Portugal.

Rui Rio's statements were a response to Paulo Mota Pinto, who referred to Rui Rio for further clarification on the alleged "dark interests" who want to dominate the party.

Rui Rio made statements in January 2019 regarding Montenegro's Freemansonry ties.

Rui Rio clarified that if he denied such influences he would be a "hypocrite" and that he is the only one with enough courage to criticize the Freemasons' influence.

Rui Rio salvaged a 1969 Mercedes 280S which had been long stored in a municipal garage; this vehicle was restored and regularly used by Rio as official car during his term as mayor.

Rui Rio personally owns a 1970 Simca 1000 and has been seen driving it publicly several times.