Ricardo Rio Explained

Ricardo Rio
Office1:Mayor of Braga
Term Start1:21 October 2013
Deputy1:Firmino Marques (2013–2021)
Sameiro Araújo (2021–present)
Predecessor1:Mesquita Machado
Birth Name:Ricardo Bruno Antunes Machado Rio
Birth Date:1972 11, df=y
Birth Place:Braga, Portugal
Party:Social Democratic Party
Children:3
Alma Mater:University of Porto
Profession:Economist
Office2:Member of the Braga City Council
Termstart2:9 October 2005
Office3:Member of the Braga Municipal Assembly
Term Start3:16 December 2001
Term End3:8 October 2005

Ricardo Bruno Antunes Machado Rio (born 21 November 1972) is a Portuguese economist and politician, currently serving as mayor of Braga.

A member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), he became mayor in the 2013 local elections in coalition with the CDS – People's Party and People's Monarchist Party. Since the first democratic elections in 1976, the city had been presided over by Mesquita Machado of the Socialist Party, who did not run in 2013 due to term limits.[1]

In April 2017, the PSD voted unanimously for him to be their mayoral candidate for the elections in October. One of his policies was to convert Braga into a smart city.[2] He won a second term, with his right-wing coalition getting 53% of the votes.[3]

Rio's coalition, now including the Alliance, won a third absolute majority in 2021. He called this victory one in a "very different scenario" due to the arrival of rival right-wing parties in Chega and the Liberal Initiative.[4]

Notes and References

  1. News: Ricardo Rio acaba com 37 anos de governação socialista em Braga. Ricardo Rio ends 37 years of Socialist government in Braga. 25 February 2021 . . 30 September 2013 . Portuguese.
  2. News: Ricardo Rio recandidata-se a Braga para "criar uma smart city". Ricardo Rio puts himself forward again for Braga to "create a smart city" . 25 February 2021 . . 8 April 2017 . Portuguese.
  3. News: Silva . Samuel . Braga: Vitória histórica no antigo bastião socialista. Braga: Historic victory in the former Socialist bastion. 25 February 2021 . Público . 2 October 2017 . Portuguese.
  4. News: Ricardo Rio destaca terceira maioria absoluta em Braga. Ricardo Rio highlights third absolute majority in Braga. 27 September 2021 . . 27 September 2021 . Portuguese.