Rui Rio

Rui Fernando da Silva Rio, GCIH (born 1957 in Porto) is a Portuguese politician and Mayor of Porto (Presidente da Câmara Municipal).

Rio studied at the Colégio Alemão do Porto (Porto's German School), and earned his degree in economics at the University of Porto. There, he was president of the Student Association, and a member of the Pedagogical Council.

Political career

Rio began his political career as part of the Juventude Social-Democrata (JSD), the Social Democrats' youth organization. He was Vice President of its National Political Commission from 1982 to 1984. At the same time he was a member of the National Political Commission of the Social Democratic Party, under Pinto Balsemão and later Mota Pinto. He was also deputy to the Assembly of the Republic, elected for the district of Porto, between 1991 and 2001. He was, during this period, the party's spokesman on economic and financial questions. He was also Secretary General of the party during the presidency of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. Between 1996 and 1998 he was Vice President of the Instituto Sá Carneiro and, between 2002 and 2005, Vice President of the Social Democratic Party. From 2003 to 2005 he was President of the Eixo Atlântico do Noroeste Peninsular.

In 2001 he was elected president of the Municipal chamber of Porto, defeating Fernando Gomes in an upset. He had a troubled first term, marked by splits with the world of the football business in the city of Porto, and strong interventions in the social districts. He was re-elected by an absolute majority in 2005.