The supreme body of the Socialist Party (PS) between congresses is scheduled to meet at 3:00 PM in Penafiel, Porto district, where the party’s parliamentary sessions will be held on Monday and Tuesday. The initial address by the socialist leader, José Luís Carneiro, will be open to the media.
The sole agenda item is the analysis of the political situation, specifically, the assessment of Sunday’s municipal elections and the presidential elections in January next year.
This week, it was reported that José Luís Carneiro and Carlos César will present to this National Commission a proposal for the PS to support former socialist secretary-general António José Seguro in the race to Belém to succeed Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Today’s meeting will see PS leaders discuss this proposal and decide on the party’s position regarding these elections.
On Thursday, Seguro stated that he took “good note” of this proposal for PS support but reiterated that his campaign is “open” because the President of the Republic should be “above the parties.”
“I take good note of this news, but I do not want nor should I interfere in the internal life of political parties in Portugal. My candidacy was launched four months ago, and it has been gaining more and more support from the left, right, center, and people with no party affiliation, and that’s where I will continue,” he responded.
The National Commission meeting agenda also includes analyzing the PS results in last Sunday’s municipal elections, where the party ceased to be the main local political force, lost the leadership of ANMP, and failed to secure the mayoralties of Lisbon and Porto.
Carneiro managed to curb the electoral erosion of the PS following the legislative catastrophe and achieved the goal of increasing the number of district capitals, with significant victories in Évora, Faro, Coimbra, Bragança, and Viseu.
The PS secured the presidency of 128 municipalities, two of which are in coalition, compared to 149 municipalities, including one coalition, in 2021.
