Carla Eliana Tavares is a candidate for the leadership of the Women Socialists – Equality and Rights in Portugal, running in internal party elections scheduled for March 13-14. She emphasizes building a more ambitious and transformative agenda for gender equality, focusing on issues like wage disparity, poverty risk, and women's underrepresentation in decision-making roles. Tavares advocates for proactive political influence, legislative solutions, and continuous policy monitoring. Her candidacy aims to strengthen the influence and visibility of Women Socialists, with regional representatives from Porto, Santo Tirso, and Trofa. The elections also include the uncontested re-election of José Luís Carneiro as Secretary-General of the Socialist Party.
Carla Eliana Tavares candidata-se às Mulheres Socialistas – Igualdade e Direitos com mandatária da Trofa - Jornal do Ave
Context & Explainers
Socialist Party (PS)
- Leader: José Luís Carneiro (since June 2025)
- Ideology: Center-left, Social democracy, pro-Europeanism
Portugal's other traditional major party suffered a historic collapse in the 2025 election, dropping from 78 to 58 seats and falling to third place for the first time in democratic history. The party was led by Pedro Nuno Santos from January 2024 until his resignation following the May 2025 defeat. José Luís Carneiro, a 53-year-old former Minister of Internal Administration known for his moderate positioning within the party, was elected unopposed as the new Secretary-General with 95% of votes in June 2025. The Socialist Party governed Portugal from 2015 to 2024, including an absolute majority from 2022 to 2024 under António Costa, who resigned in November 2023 amid a corruption investigation. The PS previously led the innovative "Geringonça" (contraption) coalition government from 2015-2019, a minority government supported by the Left Bloc and Portuguese Communist Party that reversed austerity measures and presided over economic recovery.
