Portugal's Socialist Party Opens 25th National Congress Amid Opposition Shift

Portugal's Socialist Party opened its 25th National Congress in Viseu on Friday, with Secretary-General José Luís Carneiro declaring the party "alive and very much alive" before an audience of 671 elected delegates at the Viseu Multiusos Pavilion. Carneiro, who was re-elected to the post with 97.1 (%) — share of votes in Carneiro's re-election as PS Secretary-General of the vote, used the opening session to project confidence after a turbulent period in which the party fell from government to the third parliamentary force in Portugal. The congress, running under the slogan "Together We Move Forward," will continue through Sunday and is expected to produce the first new national party bodies of the Carneiro era. Carneiro acknowledged taking over the party's leadership at a "difficult moment" when many questioned its future and predicted its decline, but argued that the PS had responded "with unity, with responsibility and with work."

The PS has undergone significant upheaval since its last National Congress in December 2023, when it was still a governing party preparing for elections following the abrupt resignation of former leader António Costa. In the intervening period, the party lost power and dropped to third place in the Portuguese parliament, behind the far-right Chega party. José Luís Carneiro, who had been defeated in the 2023 internal leadership election, was subsequently chosen as Secretary-General in 2025 and has now been re-elected to the post. The current Portuguese government is a PSD/CDS-PP coalition led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, which took office in April 2024.

Carneiro borrows Cavaco Silva's words to attack Montenegro government Carneiro sharpened his criticism of the ruling center-right government by aligning himself with an opinion article written by former President of the Republic Aníbal Cavaco Silva, published in the newspaper Expresso. Carneiro said the article "fits like a glove" the executive led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, paraphrasing its contents to argue that the government "does not govern, does not reform" and is "falling where it should not fall." Carneiro elaborated that the government needed to reflect on whether it wanted to align itself with the far right, a reference to the PSD's relationship with Chega. He also pointed to measures announced on Friday related to rising fuel costs as evidence of the government's political drift. Cavaco Silva, who served as President of Portugal from 2006 to 2016 and as Prime Minister from 1985 to 1995, had also addressed a message to the PS in the same article, urging the party to recognize that "conditioning factors of strategy, objectives and policy instruments change with the passing of time." Carneiro declined to respond directly to that portion of the text, saying only that the party's "commitment is with Portugal, at all moments of our country's life."

„The Government is falling where it should not fall from the point of view of its political alignment” — José Luís Carneiro via TSF Rádio Notícias

Negotiations over parliamentary bodies continue behind closed doors Carneiro confirmed that dialogue between the PS and the PSD over the appointment of candidates for external bodies of the Assembly of the Republic remains ongoing, though he declined to provide details. The negotiations concern appointments to institutions including the Ombudsman, the Council of State, and the Constitutional Court. Prime Minister Montenegro stated separately that the ruling coalition had negotiated the matter "with the left bloc, and with the right bloc," without confirming any agreement with Chega. The president of Chega claimed to have guarantees that two names would be indicated by the PSD and one by his party for Constitutional Court judges, a claim that was neither confirmed nor denied by the Social Democrats. Carneiro urged "a certain reserve" on the talks, saying that "the parliamentary leaders are talking" and that he was waiting for the dialogue to "result positively in what is fundamental for the life of the country."

„It means that we are in dialogue, I am in dialogue with you, the parliamentary leaders are talking, everyone is talking. Now what we talk about, as a rule, we have to maintain a certain reserve” — José Luís Carneiro via Notícias ao Minuto

Carlos César runs again as PS president amid internal debate Beyond the leadership speeches, the congress is set to elect new national party bodies over three days, with Carlos César running for re-election as President of the PS, a position he has held since António Costa came to the party's leadership in 2014. The 671 elected delegates will also vote on a global strategy motion and debate 50 sectoral motions, including one titled "Socialism with Future," which calls on the party to distance itself more clearly from the government and present itself as a credible alternative. Former socialist minister Augusto Santos Silva, speaking ahead of the congress, took Carneiro's side against internal critics, arguing that the PS has "no obligation to be a crutch for the Government, especially when it is ignored," and advising the party to focus on winning over center-right voters uncomfortable with the PSD's closeness to Chega. The congress was held in a smaller venue than usual — a consequence of the PS having won the municipality of Viseu from the PSD in local elections — which meant the hall had seats still empty at the opening session. Carneiro framed the gathering as the beginning of a new phase for the party, one focused on building a credible alternative and regaining the trust of Portuguese voters.