In his speech at the 25th of April solemn session, the President of the Assembly of the Republic pointed to the Portuguese people's distrust of politicians and the need to attract talent to politics - which, in his view, will not be easy under the current regime of incompatibilities.
Aguiar-Branco warns of political 'entrenchment' and 'populist remedies' that 'close doors'
Context & Explainers

José Pedro Aguiar‑Branco is the President of the Assembly of the Republic, who in this story requested that the Committee on Constitutional Affairs examine the constitutional conformity of government measures in a proposed bill. He is using his parliamentary role to trigger a formal review of changes affecting confession rules and the rights of the defence.

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.
Pedro Delgado Alves is a Portuguese politician and a member of the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS). He serves as a deputy in the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República) and is known for his work on constitutional and legal affairs.





