section_path: Biography/Assembly of the Republic
section_name: Assembly of the Republic
paragraph_text: Assembly of the Republic
  
  In 2002, 29-year-old Montenegro was elected to the Assembly of the Republic for Aveiro. He became the PSD parliamentary group's deputy leader to Miguel Macedo in 2010, and he received 86% of the votes to lead the group in June 2011, after PSD member Pedro Passos Coelho had been elected prime minister.
  
  The early years of Montenegro's leadership coincided with the European troika intervention to deal with the financial crisis; he was criticised in January 2014 for saying "the life of the people is no better, but the life of the country is a lot better". He defended the implementation of a strict economic austerity programme negotiated by Portugal in exchange for an international financial bailout. He left parliament in February 2018 after Passos Coelho's resignation, warning that the PSD should not turn into new leader " Rui Rio 's group of friends".
  
  In early January 2019, amid bad polling numbers for the PSD, Montenegro challenged Rio to call a leadership ballot, with Montenegro announcing he would run against him. Rio refused to call a leadership ballot, but instead called for a motion of confidence in his leadership. Rio won the motion by a 75 to 50 vote in favour, and Montenegro conceded defeat.