Portugal's Socialist Party Warns Government Against Far-Right Alliance at 25th Congress

Portugal's Socialist Party opened its 25th National Congress in Viseu on Saturday, with Secretary-General José Luís Carneiro issuing a stark warning to the center-right government of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro: exclude the Socialists from dialogue and move closer to the far-right Chega party, and the political legitimacy of the governing majority will fracture. Carneiro opened proceedings with a pointed agricultural metaphor, warning that "if the Government sows winds, it will reap storms." The Socialist leader argued that his party had already demonstrated responsibility by abstaining on the budget vote to allow it to pass, preventing Portugal from operating on monthly provisional allocations. He drew a sharp line between that cooperative stance and what he characterized as a drift by Montenegro's government toward the far right. Carneiro also addressed his recent four-day trip to Venezuela, rejecting criticism that it was politically damaging and insisting he would make the same decision again, citing the goals of demanding the release of political prisoners and protecting the Portuguese diaspora community.

„If the Government sows winds, it will reap storms.” — José Luís Carneiro via RTP

The Socialist Party has governed Portugal for much of the post-dictatorship era since the 1974 Carneiro Revolution. The party suffered significant losses in recent legislative elections, pushing it into opposition under Luís Montenegro's center-right government. The February 2026 presidential election produced a notable result when Socialist António José Seguro, a former party secretary-general, defeated hard-right Chega candidate André Ventura in a runoff, securing a five-year term as Portugal's 21st president. The congress in Viseu represents the party's effort to regroup and define its opposition strategy under Carneiro's leadership.

Rival list rejected over missing 243 names A procedural dispute over the composition of the PS National Commission dominated the early proceedings, when party president Carlos César rejected an alternative list submitted by former MP Ricardo Gonçalves on the grounds that it contained only seven names rather than the required 251. Gonçalves had argued that the official list, headed by Almada Mayor Inês de Medeiros and linked to Carneiro's leadership, "kills the PS," and had promised delegates a genuine choice between competing visions. After the rejection was announced, Gonçalves' supporters appealed to the full congress, but delegates confirmed the ruling by a large majority vote. The promoters of the rejected list subsequently showed journalists what they described as a complete printed version of their list, accusing Carlos César of not allowing sufficient time to correct the submission. The outcome means that only the Carneiro-aligned list, headed by Inês de Medeiros, will proceed to a vote on Sunday morning. 251 (members) — required size of PS National Commission list

MEP warns against defeatism as immigration row flares Several prominent party figures took to the floor to set the tone for the congress, with former parliamentary leader and MEP Ana Catarina Mendes rejecting what she characterized as a "defeatist spirit" within Socialist ranks, urging delegates to look toward the future with confidence. Mendes drew applause when she criticized the Montenegro government's immigration policies, specifically referencing a "return law" and accusing the executive of violating human rights by expressing satisfaction at deporting immigrants. Luísa Salgueiro, Mayor of Matosinhos and former president of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities, delivered one of the most applauded interventions of the day, defending the Socialist legacy on local government and calling for progress on a new local finance law. Salgueiro also pushed for regionalization, calling on the party and its new leadership to promote the public debate necessary so that a future constitutional referendum on the matter would result in a "yes" vote. She dismissed concerns that regionalization was about creating more elected positions or stoking rivalry between Porto and Lisbon, framing it instead as a matter of equity between smaller and larger municipalities.

Carneiro's Venezuela trip defended as act of fraternity The congress also served as a forum for debating Carneiro's recent visit to Venezuela, which had drawn internal criticism from some party members. Álvaro Beleza defended the trip in emphatic terms, describing it as an expression of the Socialist value of fraternity toward Portuguese emigrants who had been forced to leave Portugal. Beleza noted that Carneiro had visited the Venezuelan national parliament and made contact with Portuguese communities across several states, including Miranda, Arágua, Carabobo, and La Guaira, though a planned audience with President Delcy Rodriguez did not take place. Beleza also invoked the February 2026 presidential election result, citing António José Seguro's victory as evidence that "trust and decency also win elections." MP Miguel Costa Matos, the first signatory of a motion calling for firmer opposition, urged Carneiro to step off what he described as a "wall of maybe yes, maybe no," arguing that the party must position itself as a candidate to govern rather than as a permanent partner of the current government.

„People vote for those they respect, not for a calimero.” — Miguel Costa Matos via TSF Rádio Notícias