The Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) has decided to support a parliamentary inquiry into the digital grading process for national exams, originally proposed by the Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda or BE). The decision follows concerns over unclear responsibilities and technical failures during the recent exam period. With additional support from the Chega party, the inquiry is now expected to proceed in the Assembly of the Republic.
Socialist Party backs inquiry into national exam grading failures
Wednesday, 16 September 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
Health cards are private membership or discount schemes sold by companies that offer access to consultations, tests or reduced fees at private clinics; they are not the public health service. The Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) has proposed regulation to increase transparency and protect consumers from misleading marketing or unexpected charges.
- Leader: Currently vacant (Mariana Mortágua resigned October 2025)
- Ideology: Democratic socialism, eco-socialism, feminism
- Founded: 1999
The Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda, BE) is a Portuguese left-wing party founded in 1999 as a coalition of far-left movements (UDP, PSR, and Política XXI). It positioned itself as a modern, progressive alternative to the traditional left, attracting younger urban voters with campaigns on social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, drug policy reform, housing, and labor protections.
The party's peak influence came during the 2015–2019 Geringonça ("contraption") government, when it supported António Costa's PS minority administration alongside the PCP. This arrangement reversed austerity measures and presided over economic recovery, giving BE significant policy leverage.
Since then, the party has suffered a sharp electoral decline — from 19 seats in 2015 to just 1 seat in the May 2025 election, its worst result in history. Leader Mariana Mortágua resigned in October 2025 after failing to reverse the slide. The party is currently undergoing a leadership contest and internal debate about its future direction, squeezed between the PS on one side and Livre on the other.
8 sources
- PS votes in favour of the inquiry commission into national exams proposed by the Blocopublico.pt ·
- PS to vote in favour of the parliamentary inquiry into the national exams casedn.pt ·
- PS National Secretariat proposes voting in favour of the inquiry into exam grading requested by the BEcmjornal.pt ·
- National exams: PS warns that without clarification, a parliamentary inquiry is "really necessary"cnnportugal.iol.pt ·
- Inquiry commission into exams moves forward. PS votes in favourexpresso.pt ·
- Another parliamentary committee is coming. PS prepares to vote in favour of the inquiry into examseco.sapo.pt ·
- National exams. PS National Secretariat proposes voting in favour of the inquiry requested by the BErtp.pt ·
- PS approves inquiry into national examsobservador.pt ·
