The head of the centre-right opposition, the new leader of the Socialist Party, and the founder of an extreme far-right formation are the main candidates in Sunday's legislative elections in Portugal.

- Luis Montenegro

President of the centre-right Social-Democratic Party (PSD) since May 2022, Montenegro, 51, led its parliamentary group when it was in power from 2011 to 2015 and imposed severe austerity measures.

His refusal to consider any alliance with the far-right led him to break with Pedro Passos Coelho, the prime minister of that period.

Born in Portugal's second-largest city of Porto, he grew up in nearby Espinho, where he lost an election for mayor in 2005.

Trained as a lawyer, he became a deputy at 29 in 2002 and was in parliament until 2018.

He was elected as head of the PSD two years after a first attempt to win control of the party failed.

- Pedro Nuno Santos

The controversial head of the Socialist Party's left wing, 46-year-old Nuno Santos has long been a contender to replace outgoing Prime Minister Antonio Costa as party leader.

Son of a "self-made man" from the northern d'Aveiro region who made a fortune in the shoe business, he played a key role as liaison to far-left parties that supported Costa's government.

Promoted to infrastructure minister, Santos fell out with Costa for announcing the site of a new Lisbon airport without the premier's consent.

He resigned in late 2022 after a scandal about an indemnity paid to a departing administrator at national airline TAP, which was in the midst of a restructuring plan.

- Andre Ventura

Described as ambitious or opportunistic -- or both -- Ventura, a 41-year-old with a youthful face and three-day beard, had thought of becoming a priest or a writer. In the end, he made his name as a television sports commentator.

That opened the gates to a political career, initially with the PSD.

Originally from the Lisbon suburbs, he became a national figure when he denounced the Roma community while running for mayor in a nearby town.

Armed with his charm and sharp tongue, Ventura quit the PSD to create Chega ("Enough") in 2019, spreading a populist and anti-establishment message.

Elected to parliament that year as his party's only member, he led his formation to become the country's third largest party in the 2022 legislative elections.