Lisbon, Sept. 8, 2026 (Lusa) - The Secretary-General of the Socialist Party (PS) said on Tuesday that the PS's abstention on Chega's motion of no confidence in the government averts a political crisis, which would be «against the will of the Portuguese people», but also criticised the actions of the PSD/CDS government.
José Luís Carneiro took this position at the opening of the debate on the motion of no confidence in the government tabled by Chega, during which he linked the leader of that party, André Ventura, to conspiracy theories, citing as an example an incident in which he is said to have even considered fleeing to Morocco.
«The PS does not support this motion of no confidence because it is accountable to the Portuguese people, who do not want a political crisis. The PS is preventing a political crisis, but it condemns this government,» the Socialist leader said.
At the start of his speech, José Luís Carneiro addressed André Ventura, who had accused the PS of being influenced by Portugal's minister for internal affairs, Luís Neves.
«The PS is confident and welcomes MP André Ventura, for one reason: this was the party that fought in the streets of this country for freedom, even if André Ventura misuses that freedom. The PS is also responsible for the greatest expansion of Portugal's criminal investigation police agency, PJ's investigative resources. The Public Prosecutor's Office itself also owes its origins to the PS. We focus on evidence and facts», declared the Socialist leader.
In this context, José Luís Carneiro considered that the Chega leader deserved to be awarded the ‘MP of the Month' prize by the prime minister, «because it is thanks to him that the debate on health, housing, wages and the cost of living did not take place».
As for the central point of Chega's motion of no confidence, the PS Secretary-General noted that he had praised the appointment of Luís Neves as Portugal's minister for internal affairs, believing he had the potential to restore authority in the sector.
However, according to Carneiro, the political reality is now different, as the facts that have come to light have undermined Minister Luís Neves's political authority.
He then posed a question to the prime minister: «What will you do to put an end to this institutional crisis, which is eroding citizens' trust in our institutions?» With regard to the government, the PS Secretary-General argued that it is adrift and has failed to learn the lesson from the vote on the 2026 Budget, as «it threw itself into the arms of Chega».
«It threw itself into the arms of Chega to strip workers of their rights, to strip the poorest of their rights, and to amend the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic. What happened was that Chega went back on its word, leaving the AD and the prime minister exposed to the lack of a majority in Parliament and exposed to the broken promise of [André Ventura's] party, which had previously said labour reform would be approved,» he criticised.
José Luís Carneiro emphasised that the PS prefers to avoid creating a political crisis in Portugal.
«But we want to censure the government, because it has failed in all areas vital to people's lives. The government has failed in its crisis management, in its management of and commitments to healthcare, and in addressing housing needs. And the prime minister has failed on wages and on education,» he added.
In this context, he distanced himself from Chega's approach towards the government, stressing that the PS «is not calling for resignations».
«We are not calling for the resignation of the Ministers of Health or Education. We are not calling for the resignation of the Minister of Labour. And let me be clear: we are not calling for the resignation of Portugal's minister for Internal Affairs either,» concluded the Socialist leader.
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