The National Council of Portugal’s Social Democratic Party (PSD) is slated to meet on Tuesday at 9:00 PM in a hotel in Lisbon, as indicated in the latest publication of their official organ, Povo Livre.
The agenda’s first item is the political situation analysis, expected to include an assessment of the recent electoral victory in municipal elections and a preview of the State Budget proposal debate for 2026, which is anticipated to pass in general terms with the Socialist Party’s abstention in the initial phase. The vote is scheduled for October 28.
Other items include the presentation and voting on internal regulations related to discipline, membership admission and transfer, and electoral rules, along with the electoral calendar for choosing future district and local PSD bodies.
These new regulations must be approved by the National Council following the new PSD statutes adopted during the November 25, 2023 Congress. The initial version was rejected by the Constitutional Court but accepted with alterations in an opinion dated February 11.
On October 19 of the previous year, the PSD Congress reapproved the statutes with “four surgical changes” to address the Constitutional Court’s arguments.
Among other updates, illicit behaviors of members subject to light or severe sanctions, previously defined in the 2020 Discipline Regulation during Rui Rio’s leadership, were detailed.
The main changes in the PSD statutes include a National Convention if more than one candidate runs for party president, ending the requirement for up-to-date membership fees to vote in primary elections, introducing electronic voting, establishing the Equality Ombudsman, gender quotas in internal elections, and a board quota for nominating parliamentary candidates.
The new statutes also propose a unified electoral calendar for districts, municipalities, and local chapters, to be voted on in Tuesday’s National Council.
The PSD’s core team, the Permanent Committee, met Tuesday regarding the recent municipal elections, asserting that voter confidence in the prime minister and government significantly contributed to the PSD’s success.
Solo and in coalitions, the PSD secured the most mayoral positions, 136, based on provisional results from the Ministry of Internal Administration, with 109 councils governed by an absolute majority.
Of these, 78 were elected as PSD-only lists and 58 in coalitions. The PSD garnered nearly 1.9 million votes and 34.31% of the total.
Compared to the previous municipal elections in 2021, the party gained 22 more councils (previously having 114), reversing the local power leadership, with more councils and parishes than the Socialist Party (128 in total). This allows them to lead the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP) and the National Association of Parishes (Anafre), a goal set by PSD president and Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.
