José Luís Carneiro elected leader of the Socialist Party
He becomes the PS’s tenth Secretary-General and enters a critical moment for the party, and for Portuguese politics, with a message of steadiness, dialogue, and democratic renewal.
José Luís Carneiro has been officially elected Secretary-General of Portugal’s Socialist Party (PS), securing 95% of the vote in internal elections marked by high abstention (55%).
The 53-year-old politician now takes the reins of a party recovering from a historic electoral defeat in May 2025, which relegated the PS to third place in Parliament, with just 58 deputies.
A veteran of both local and national politics, he assumed the party’s leadership with a clear message: the PS will chart a path free of “tactics” and “political spectacle.”
In his victory speech, Carneiro emphasized that the party he now leads will be one of “values and principles,” rooted in social justice, democratic reform, and loyalty to the constitutional rule of law.
“Expect from me a different posture,” he said. “I seek to be a thoughtful person, part of building better paths for the country.”
Carneiro also made a pointed critique of what he described as a growing trend toward emotional populism and short-term decision-making, widely interpreted as a swipe at the right-wing Chega party and elements within the current government.
“These politicians exploit fear, disregard the foundations of good policymaking, and pursue only immediate political gains,” he said, warning that such strategies threaten social cohesion and democratic integrity.
A Reformist Vision
Describing the PS as “the backbone of the values of April”, in reference to Portugal’s 1974 democratic revolution, Carneiro framed his leadership as an opportunity to “rethink the party’s relationship with the country.”
He pledged to promote democratic consensus on issues such as electoral reform, defend the welfare state, and support policies that improve quality of life in areas like housing, transport, and healthcare.
Carneiro distanced himself from the political tone of his predecessor Pedro Nuno Santos, who resigned following the PS’s March 2025 defeat.
While stressing party unity, he promised no internal factionalism or public infighting.
“I will not engage in personal or superficial attacks,” he said, highlighting the need for constructive opposition and internal cohesion.
A Fragile PS and an Assertive Opposition
With the PS in a weakened position, Carneiro’s challenge will be to rebuild the party’s standing while offering a credible alternative to the center-right coalition government led by Luís Montenegro.
Carneiro signaled a firm but responsible opposition line, accusing the government of seeking to undermine the welfare state and privatize public functions.
“The government seems to be threatening citizens in essential areas,” Carneiro said.
“The PS will use all oversight tools available to oppose unjust, ineffective, or regressive policies.”
He also took aim at the government’s neglect of culture, science, and innovation, and warned against conflating state reform with dismantling public services.
What Comes Next
Carneiro’s leadership begins with immediate political stakes.
The PS must prepare for the upcoming local elections, which will be seen as a key test of his ability to reconnect the party with voters.
Carneiro has already announced that discussions about a presidential candidate will only take place after the local vote.
As a centrist leader with roots in municipal governance, Carneiro is widely seen as a pragmatic figure capable of dialogue and consensus-building.
He has called for “listening more and giving more voice to society,” reflecting a strategy to move the PS away from internal disputes and toward broader engagement.
Despite the challenges ahead, Carneiro expressed confidence that “the ideas and values of the Socialist Party still have the capacity to be the majority in Portugal.”
From Local Politics to Party Leader
Carneiro’s political rise began in municipal governance.
He served as mayor of Baião for a decade (2005–2015), building a reputation for community-focused leadership and development.
His work earned praise from former president Mário Soares, who wrote the foreword to his 2012 book Práticas Políticas de Desenvolvimento.
At the national level, Carneiro has held key roles in multiple Socialist governments.
He served as Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities (2015–2019), Home Affairs Minister (2022–2025), a role in which he held partial responsibility for Portugal’s migration policy.
During his tenure, the restructuring of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) was finalized, separating policing functions, which were transferred to law enforcement agencies like the PSP, GNR, and Judiciary Police, from integration responsibilities, which were assigned to the newly created Portuguese Agency for Migration and Asylum (APMA).
The former remained under his ministry’s authority, while the latter came under the supervision of Minister Ana Catarina Mendes.
Polling in 2023 found him to be the most popular minister in the government of António Costa.
He also served as Deputy Secretary-General of the PS under António Costa.
Following Costa’s resignation as the PM of Portugal, Carneiro run as a candidate for the leadership of the Socialist Party but later lost against Pedro Nuno Santos.
Migrations views
José Luís Carneiro has consistently defended the separation between immigration and public security.
He reiterated that position just last month, during his Socialist Party leadership campaign, when he declined to comment on far-right Chega leader André Ventura’s proposed parliamentary inquiry into alleged “criminal attribution” of Portuguese nationality.
When asked to respond, Carneiro reaffirmed to reporters that immigration “is not a national public security issue,” and argued that “Portugal is safer today than when the SEF had only around 1,000 inspectors.”
“Those inspectors are now in the Judiciary Police, and we also have the PSP and GNR,” he noted.
What concerns the former minister more than migration are the “messages of hate and aggression” to which, he argues, the government has yet to respond.
He pointed to recent incidents of violence and intimidation, including the assault of an actor in Lisbon by suspected neo-Nazi sympathizers, as evidence of rising threats to constitutional values.
“These are serious attacks on the values enshrined in our Constitution,” he said, urging the government and authorities to ensure that citizens’ rights and freedoms are fully protected.
“When someone is publicly insulted or attacked during a democratic demonstration, there must be an immediate response from political leaders, the police, and the justice system.”
Carneiro reminded journalists that between 2003 and 2023, reported crimes in Portugal decreased by 45,000, and by 5,000 between 2013 and 2023.
“This is a safe country,” he said. “And that’s the reality we should focus on protecting.”