PSD summons former PS ministers over immigration data

Monday, 29 June 2026AI summary
PSD summons former PS ministers over immigration data
Photo: RTP Notícias

The Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) has announced it will summon former Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) officials, including former Minister of Internal Administration José Luís Carneiro, to Parliament. The party accuses the previous government of obscuring immigration realities, following recent data released by the National Statistics Institute (Instituto Nacional de Estatística or INE).

Context & Explainers

PSD (Partido Social Democrata)

The Social Democratic Party ('Partido Social Democrata' or 'PSD') is a liberal-conservative political party in Portugal that is the leading partner of the The Democratic Alliance (AD) which is the country's ruling party, with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.

The Social Democratic Party, despite its name, occupies the centre-right of Portugal's political spectrum. Luís Montenegro, who became Prime Minister in April 2024, leads Portugal's current minority government. The PSD has been one of Portugal's two dominant parties since 1974, having formed nine governments including four with absolute majorities. Montenegro, a former party leader from 1996-1999, was elected with the highest approval rating among party leaders at 10.7 points out of 20.

The Democratic Alliance is a centre-right coalition that includes the smaller CDS – People's Party, a Christian democratic party that has historically been the PSD's coalition partner. Together, they govern without a parliamentary majority, requiring case-by-case support from opposition parties to pass legislation.

José Luís Carneiro is a Portuguese politician and member of the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS). He served as the Minister of Internal Administration (Ministro da Administração Interna) from 2022 to 2024 and currently holds a seat in the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República).