The latest DN/Aximage Barometer shows the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) leading voting intentions at 30.6%, followed by the PSD-CDS coalition and Chega. The poll highlights growing public dissatisfaction with the government, which received a 54% negative rating. Meanwhile, the Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda or BE) has criticized the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) for supporting Chega candidates for parliamentary oversight bodies.
Socialist Party leads in latest voting intention barometer
Thursday, 16 April 2026AI summary
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.
- Leader: Luís Montenegro (Prime Minister)
- Ideology: Liberal conservatism, pro-Europeanism
- Coalition: Social Democratic Party (PSD) + CDS–People's Party (CDS-PP)
The Democratic Alliance (Aliança Democrática, AD) is a center-right coalition primarily composed of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) with 89 seats and the CDS–People's Party (CDS-PP) with 2 seats. Together, they form the current minority government under Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.
The PSD, despite its name, occupies the center-right of Portugal's political spectrum and has been one of Portugal's two dominant parties since 1974, having formed nine governments including four with absolute majorities. The CDS-PP is a smaller Christian democratic party that has historically been the PSD's coalition partner.
The AD coalition governs without a parliamentary majority, requiring case-by-case support from opposition parties to pass legislation. The coalition has imposed a cordon sanitaire against Chega, refusing formal cooperation with the far-right despite its parliamentary strength, which means it must negotiate with the PS or smaller parties to advance its legislative agenda.
4 sources
- DN/Aximage Barometer: PS opens up lead over PSD and Chega in voting intentionsDiário de Notícias ·
- BE: PSD degrades democracy by supporting Chega candidatesObservador ·
- BE accuses PSD of degrading democracy by supporting Chega candidates for external bodiesCorreio da Manhã ·
- Read this Friday's DN, April 17th, hereDinheiro Vivo ·
