Rui Fernando da Silva Rio GCIH (born 6 August 1957) is a Portuguese economist and retired politician of the Social Democratic Party (PSD).

He held the positions of[9] member of the Supervisory Board of Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD), of non-executive director of the company Metro do Porto and Chairman of 32 Senses SGPS.

A year later, in 2015, the book Rui Rio - Raizes de Aço[15], authored by Carlos Mota Cardoso was published.

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

[22] On the leadership election held on 13 January 2018, Rio defeated his more conservative rival, former Prime Minister Pedro Santana Lopes, winning 54 percent of votes from PSD party members.

Ending the animosity that followed the 2015 legislative election and nudging the PSD closer to the center, Rio and Prime Minister António Costa signed an agreement in April 2018 which covered cooperation on a reform intended to give more powers to municipalities, as well as on a 12-year strategy to keep using European Union structural funds for development.

[24] Amid criticism at his leadership, 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.

He took office on 17 December 2021, at the 39th National Congress of the Party,[28] which took place in Santa Maria da Feira, under the motto "New Horizons for Portugal".

[30][31] On 28 May 2022, the day Luís Montenegro was elected leader of the Social Democratic Party, Rui Rio announced his departure from active politics.

On social issues, as a centrist, he is to the left of his party as a supporter of abortion rights, euthanasia and legalizing cannabis for medicinal purposes.

[22] Following his party's internal elections, which he disputed against Luís Montenegro and Miguel Pinto Luz, Rio stated that Freemasonry "is everywhere" and trying to "condition Portuguese society" by giving this organization obscure and untransparent motivations.

He also 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.