A parliamentary committee meeting has been scheduled for Saturday following Pedro Nuno Santos’ resignation as leader of Portugal’s Socialist Party (PS) after a significant electoral defeat. PS President Carlos César announced the meeting, stating it would focus on analyzing the political situation after Sunday’s election results. The meeting will also address the approval of election calendars and regulations, although the venue remains undisclosed.
In light of the recent developments, sources close to José Luís Carneiro, who previously lost an internal party battle to Pedro Nuno Santos, revealed that he is being approached by both PS members and members of the civil society. The source mentioned that Carneiro is in a phase of reflection and will announce his decision in due course, indicating his readiness to serve the party if needed. He is expected to speak publicly soon, as confirmed by an announcement from CNN about an anticipated interview.
The Socialist Party’s performance in the recent legislative elections marked its third-worst outcome in history, narrowly surpassing the far-right party Chega. Faced with this historic setback, Pedro Nuno Santos resigned, less than eighteen months after his initial election as party leader.
Sunday’s snap legislative elections, won by the AD coalition, had a profound impact on the PS, prompting Pedro Nuno Santos to call for internal elections, from which he will abstain from participating. Based on provisional results, with overseas votes still pending, the PS lost 20 seats, securing 58 positions in parliament with a voter share of 23.38%, equivalent to 1,394,491 votes.
In this context, the PS stands nearly parallel with Chega. Compared to last year’s figures, excluding the overseas vote count, the PS experienced a reduction of approximately 365,000 votes within a year. Historically, only the elections in 1985 and 1987 resulted in poorer outcomes regarding the percentage of votes for the PS.
In his concession speech, the outgoing PS leader expressed full responsibility for the election outcome, stating his readiness to step down as secretary-general immediately and emphasized his intent not to hinder future party decisions. “As Mário Soares once said, ‘Only those who stop fighting are defeated.’ I will continue the fight. See you soon. Thank you all,” he concluded.
