// José Sena Goulão, Estela Silva, Paulo Novais / Lusa
Pedro Nuno Santos will cease to be PS secretary general on Saturday, after the National Party Commission. José Luís Carneiro has already confirmed that he is a candidate for the leadership of the socialists.
The PS Secretary-General, Pedro Nuno Santos, It will leave the party leadership this Saturday. The news, initially advanced by the, was confirmed to Lusa by an official source of the PS.
Will be the party president, Carlos Césarto ensure leadership until the election of new secretary general.
In Sunday’s elections, PS reached the third worse result From his legislature, ahead only of the one obtained in 1985 by Almeida Santos, and in 1987 by Vitor Constâncio, being almost – which led Pedro Nuno Santos to present a year and a half after his election.
Sunday’s early legislative elections won by AD, had a profound impact on the PS and, in the speech in which he took the defeat, Pedro Nuno Santos announced that asked the party president The call for Saturday of the National Commission for internal elections, to which it will not be recalled.
According to the provisional results, and without the votes counted from the emigration, the PS lost 20 deputies And there are, at this time, 58 seats in Parliament, with a result of 23.38%, ie 1,394,491 votes. Compared to the same results in 2024, without emigration, Lost about 365 thousand votes In a year.
In the speech in which he assumed the defeat, the leader of the PS assumed the responsibility of the result, said that cease to be secretary general if it “can be now” And that you don’t want to “be a hindrance to the decisions” that the PS has to make.
“But As Mário Soares saidit is only expired who gives up fighting and I will not give up fighting. See you soon. Thanks to all”He emphasized.
Who follows?
With Pedro Nuno Santos on the way out, the Socialist Party is now looking for a new leader. There are three names pointed out as possible successors, but so far only one assumed candidacy: José Luís Carneiro.
The former Minister of Internal Affairs of António Costa confirmed since he is a candidate for the succession of Pedro Nuno Santos in the lead of the PS. “I decided make me available to serve the party and the country“José Luís Carneiro said on Monday night, in an interview with CNN Portugal.
“From the moment I was a candidate I was a responsibility with those who supported me and today this responsibility is added,” he added.
José Luís Carneiro applied in 2023 to leadership of the PS, having lost to Pedro Nuno Santos, who obtained 24,080 votes (62%), above 14,868 votes (36%) of the former Minister of Internal Affairs. We said here at Zap at the time it had been one – and that ram would walk around.
According to, there is within the party who believes that the simple change of secretary general will have immediate, Playing in favor of José Luís Carneiro The fact that it is seen as Someone closer to the people and with greater capacityat this stage, to pass the image of a RECENT OF PS Matrix.
Another of the names pointed to the leadership of the PS is that of Alexandra Leitãowhich, says the business, would even be allegedly inclined to present themselves to the race. About three months ago, the socialist candidate for the Lisbon Chamber told the newspaper Público that “would not rule out a possible candidacy“.
The former Minister of Modernization of the State and Public Administration is however conditioned by the candidacy for the Lisbon Authority. An eventual defeat in the municipalities against Carlos Coins would penalize the socialists and leave Alexandra Leitão fragile as a leader.
Also the former Minister of Finance Fernando Medinathat “for personal reasons” to the deputy of the PS, it has been being pointed out as possible candidate to the leadership of the socialists.
Like José Luís Carneiro, the former mayor of Lisbon is seen as one capable of, in the new legislature, bridges with the government led by Luís Montenegro.
In March, at the time of the government’s confidence motion, whose rejection led to the execution of the executive and the convening of early elections, Medina – including in the PS.
The former finance minister was at the time the only deputy to submit a vote statement, and explained why: he preferred that there were no early elections.
“I wanted to underline the look, this lament of not being able to reach a point where we spared the country to a situation of political crisis And new elections, ”said the PS deputy.
Fernando Medina then understood that “all efforts to ensure political stability” should be made because “it is necessary to be aware that the country Don’t want new elections“.
According to business, the sectors closest to the current board also admit to presenting a candidate, and will have pressured MARIANA VIEIRA DA SILVA to advance. However, a large part of the socialists will be more inclined to find a Consensual Leadership Solutionthat the former Minister of the Presidency, near the leftist wing of the partyit seems not to be.
