“(…) José Luís Carneiro is today a particularly qualified member of the PS, while also being a constantly present and respected activist. Personally, I expect a lot from him. He is an excellent cadre, well aware of his goals and actions, and as such, he is recognized by both his peers and his conscious opponents.” These are the words of Mário Soares, who wrote the preface for a book by José Luís Carneiro titled “Práticas Políticas de Desenvolvimento” in March 2012, during Carneiro’s tenure as the Mayor of Baião, a position he held in his hometown from 2005 to 2015 after serving as a councilman.
The new PS leader, speaking to Lusa, cites Mário Soares as a key influence, alongside former German Chancellor Willy Brandt and former European Commission President Jacques Delors. Reflecting on his predecessors who have led the PS from Largo do Rato, José Luís Carneiro acknowledges the humanism of António Guterres, the vision and pragmatism of José Sócrates, the humility of António José Seguro, and the intelligence and depth of António Costa.
Nearly two years after losing the internal race to Pedro Nuno Santos in the December 2023 direct elections, triggered by Costa’s resignation following Operation Influencer, José Luís Carneiro once again entered the race for the position of PS secretary-general, a contest he won uncontested as the sole candidate.
At 53, he becomes the tenth secretary-general of the PS, taking over the party during a challenging phase after the electoral collapse in the March 18 legislative elections, which led to Pedro Nuno Santos’ resignation, leaving the party with 58 deputies and as the third-largest parliamentary force.
During these elections, following a controversial internal process in the Braga federation, José Luís Carneiro returned as the top candidate for the district, supported at various campaign events by Pedro Nuno Santos, who dubbed him the “standard-bearer” of ethical values at a rally in Braga.
Positioned towards the moderate or centrist wing of the PS, and frequently emphasizing consensus, the former minister spent nearly two years in internal opposition to Pedro Nuno Santos with few public disagreements, except for positions on immigration interests and the announced inquiry commission on Luís Montenegro.
In his campaign for the direct elections, under the motto “listen and give voice to the people,” Carneiro focused on “rethinking the PS and its relationship with the country,” advocating for “democratic consensus” in five areas of sovereignty, including “an electoral reform starting with the local authorities.”
José Luís Carneiro aims to concentrate on local elections before deciding on presidential matters, a point he made towards António José Seguro, without explicitly naming him, during his candidacy announcement.
Identifying the PS as the “mainstay of the values of April,” the new socialist leader has been part of the party since 1997, during António Guterres’ tenure as secretary-general. Despite his PS affiliation stemming from the early 1990s when he contributed to Baião’s municipal electoral program, Carneiro formally joined the party following defeat in the 1997 local elections, after initially declining a similar opportunity four years prior.
Born in Baião, José Luís Pereira Carneiro holds a degree in International Relations and a master’s in African Studies. He served as Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities in António Costa’s first government from 2015 to 2019, and as Minister of Internal Administration from 2022 to 2025.
His governmental experience began as an advisor in Carlos Zorrinho’s office, the Deputy Secretary of State for Internal Administration, from 1999 to 2000 in António Guterres’ administration. A long-serving legislator, José Luís Carneiro was President of the Associação Nacional de Autarcas Socialistas from 2014 to 2015 and led the PS Porto District Federation from 2012 to 2016. Within the PS, he also served as Deputy Secretary-General from 2019 to 2022 under António Costa’s leadership.
