The deadline to submit candidacies for the internal elections concluded today. As expected, José Luís Carneiro emerged as the sole contender for this electoral race, confirmed by an official source from the PS to the Lusa agency.
Following the PS’s significant defeat in the legislative elections on May 18, which led to Pedro Nuno Santos’s resignation on election night, the former minister indicated his readiness to serve PS and Portugal through a note sent to Lusa, advocating for a “deep reflection” and the opening of a new cycle for the party.
Former ministers Duarte Cordeiro, Fernando Medina, and Mariana Vieira da Silva, alongside former PS leadership candidate Daniel Adrião and ex-State Secretary Miguel Prata Roque, distanced themselves from the race early on.
During the candidacy presentation held last weekend at the PS headquarters in Lisbon, José Luís Carneiro called for internal unity within the party, free from “mutual blows” and introspection, assuring that he would avoid making “personal and superficial attacks in public.”
In the same speech, he promised that under his leadership, the PS would be “determined and energetic in opposition” against perceived setbacks, but would also not hesitate to “promote democratic consensus.”
Addressing the country’s electoral calendar, José Luís Carneiro stated that the PS sets its priorities, emphasizing local elections as the primary focus, with presidential elections in 2026 to be addressed “each in due time.”
Without naming former PS leader António José Seguro, who announced his candidacy for Belém that week, José Luís Carneiro noted, “Local elections will be at the end of September or early October,” and “presidential elections will only be in 2026.”
Details of his candidacy motion indicate a desire to “rethink the PS and its relationship with the country,” advocating for “democratic consensus” in five areas of sovereignty, including “an electoral reform starting with local authorities.”
This motion aims to “evolve with the objective of gathering contributions from Portuguese society,” with the socialist leader aiming to “rethink the PS and its relationship with the country.”
A reflection process will be launched to “listen to and give voice to the people.”
Carneiro also expresses openness to “democratic consensus” in five sovereignty areas where he deems such agreements natural: foreign and European policy, defense, security, justice, and state organization.
In the legislative elections on May 18, the PS was reduced to 58 deputies and became the third political force in parliament, remaining in second place by a narrow margin concerning Chega in terms of vote percentage.
Direct elections to choose the new secretary-general of the PS are scheduled for June 27 and 28, as outlined by the party’s president, Carlos César, which received approval in the National Committee on May 24 with 201 votes in favor and five against.
