Montenegro dismisses crisis talk as PSD congress rallies around leader after labour reform defeat

Rejection in parliament

Portugal's government suffered a heavy legislative defeat on Friday when the Socialist Party (PS) and the far‑right Chega voted together to reject a package of labour reforms. The revision of the Labour Code had been the centrepiece of the government's agenda for the 43rd PSD congress, which opened a day later in Anadia. Instead of celebrating a policy victory, party leaders spent Saturday accusing the two opposition parties of putting political tactics ahead of the country.

We respond to noise, resentment and paralysis with work. Yesterday it was especially clear: the opposition revels in politicking and mistreats change. They lack courage, firmness and a sense of responsibility.

Prime minister shuts down crisis speculation

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the congress, Montenegro insisted there was no question of a political crisis. "It is even absurd to consider it," he said. The prime minister accused Chega of irresponsibility and claimed the PS had only simulated a willingness to negotiate in order to cast itself as a future alternative. He argued that both parties had shown they do not want the government's reforms to succeed, but he stopped short of burning bridges, signalling that the government would continue to seek dialogue.

They pretend in words and letters that they have a constructive spirit, and in this way they force the AD government to negotiate exclusively with Chega. It is the most visible form of a cunning political strategy.

Cabinet ministers close ranks

Throughout the first day of the congress, ministers queued to defend the executive's record while aiming fire at the opposition. Finance minister Joaquim Miranda Sarmento said Chega leader André Ventura was "held hostage by social networks" and that PS secretary‑general José Luís Carneiro was dependent on "radicals" within his own party. He argued that for the first time in 30 years the PSD was governing without a financial emergency and that the Portuguese were better off than two years ago, citing income tax cuts, the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly, lower public debt and growth above the euro‑area average.

We have three years to keep transforming Portugal. Against the immobility of the left and the far‑right: against a far‑right leader incapable of deciding against social networks and public opinion.

Unanimous backing for leader, but one dissenting voice

Delegates approved Montenegro's two‑year global strategy motion and 18 thematic proposals without a single vote against, even moving the ballot forward for fear of losing quorum. The motion commits the party not to pursue a government solution either with Chega or with the PS, while rejecting "sanitary cordons" in parliament. Yet not every party voice matched the official line. Carlos Eduardo Reis, president of the Braga district, openly challenged the idea of treating the two opposition parties as equivalent. "I cannot accept that negotiating with the PS is the same as negotiating with Chega," he said, calling Chega an unreliable party that changes its convictions according to opinion polls. His intervention drew applause.

An untrustworthy party cannot be turned into the hinge of our political system, a party that disrupts the government while blocking reforms from those who govern.

What comes next

Despite the defeat, the government signalled no intention to change its overall strategy. Montenegro stressed that the country is developing under his programme and that his objectives are being met. The message from Anadia was that the administration will keep governing, keep negotiating, and will not let Friday's vote derail its agenda. The congress ends on Sunday at lunchtime, with the PSD leadership hoping to project an image of unity and readiness to face the remaining three years of the legislature.