The abstention decision

The Comissão Política Nacional of the Socialist Party (PS) met on Wednesday, 21 October and endorsed secretary-general José Luís Carneiro's proposal that the party abstain on the 2027 state budget (OE2027). Party spokesman André Moz Caldas, rendered André Moscaldas in one report, told reporters that the views expressed amounted to total consensus, and noted that the commission does not usually hold a formal vote on proposals of this kind. The abstention applies to the general vote, and the party intends to keep it in the final global vote unless an unforeseen development changes the picture. Moz Caldas said the abstention signals no agreement with the budget or with the policies of the current government.

“It is a commitment to the Portuguese people and to the whole country, and it is about political stability and getting through moments of great difficulty.”

The party does not commit to the same position during the committee stage (especialidade), and it reserves the right to reassess its stance at each step. The decision came in two meetings that day, as shown below.

Carneiro's conditions on housing

Carneiro asked Prime Minister Luís Montenegro to shelve the proposed rent law (lei das rendas) that the government sent to the Assembleia da República, and to negotiate with the PS a public guarantee for rentals. He said the law had support from IL, AD and Chega, and that the guarantee should revive the rental market, protect young people and middle-class families, and give security to older tenants. Speaking after a meeting of the Secretariado Nacional on the late afternoon of 21 October, Carneiro called it unacceptable that the government was not heeding the protests. He said the PS was ready for constructive dialogue on the issue.

“It would be a sign of incomprehension, insensitivity and unacceptable indifference if the government did not take into account what is happening in the squares of our country.”

Members of the leadership reportedly asked Carneiro to focus the opposition on cost of living, health and housing, and not to alienate the moderate right entirely.

Protests and the government's tone

Housing protests continued in Lisbon, Porto and other cities, with tents set up in main squares. On the evening of 21 October, several dozen people gathered again in Rossio Square in Lisbon, where a popular assembly closed, and when a spokesperson asked who intended to camp there overnight, several dozen raised their hands. Interior Minister Luís Neves had said the camps were over. Earlier government statements said the government would not give in to 'shouts from the street', but the tone has since softened, with Neves now appealing for mutual respect and expressing understanding for the reasons behind the protest. Expresso reported that Montenegro had not spoken publicly on the issue for some time. Carneiro accused AD and Chega of a 'desperate attempt' to reduce the street demonstrations to 'far-left actions', and said the government should listen to the thousands of people on the streets.

Party tensions and the Chega question

The PS is attempting a balancing act: it wants to win back voters who moved to Chega without being drawn into the protest movement. One party official said Carneiro would only return to government if he managed to empty Chega of voters, while another warned that he could pay a price if carried along by the contestation. Party members suggested pressing André Ventura on whether he stands with tenants or landlords. Carneiro described the 2027 budget as a 'bad budget' and said the abstention was a vote for Portugal rather than for the budget itself. He warned that the PS would not contribute to a political crisis that adds risk, and distanced his party from those seeking to trigger new elections, an implicit reference to Chega. Carneiro had earlier accused Ventura of deserving a 'Nobel prize for hypocrisy' over his association with the changes to the rent law.