Government: Political impasse news in Portugal

Carneiro awaits conversation with Montenegro regarding external parliamentary bodies

Seguro sees no need for revision: "It is not the Constitution that prevents the resolution of the Portuguese people's problems"

In a speech during the solemn session commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Constitution, the President of the Republic criticised the State for being slow and late in addressing fundamental goals and commented on the impasse between the PSD, Chega, and PS regarding the selection of Constitutional Court judges: do not politicise the courts.

“Democracy cannot be held hostage”: Nuno Melo attacks PS over Constitutional Court deadlock and Carneiro’s visit to Caracas

“Democracy is not held hostage, democracy is valued in each of its institutions,” argued the president of the centrists at the closing of the CDS-PP Parliamentary Days, appealing to the PS’s sense of “responsibility” to end the impasse regarding the election of external bodies.

Cargo lasso – it neither repairs nor replaces

What we all have before our eyes at this moment is a tangled system that, when it fails, does not repair, and when it needs to change, does not replace.

PS and Government intensify attacks over nominations for the Constitutional Court

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs accused the PS of wanting to “maintain its omnipresence in state bodies”. Socialists see “bridges” being burned. The impasse remains.

PS accuses Abreu Amorim of “burning all bridges” regarding the Constitutional Court solution

The Socialist Party (PS) has accused the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs of “burning all bridges” instead of seeking a solution for the election of Constitutional Court judges, arguing that such rhetoric only worsens the institutional situation. The dispute arises from an impasse over the appointment of judges, with the PS advocating for the maintenance of a 40-year tradition of consensus and balance, while criticising the government's approach and its inconsistent stance regarding negotiations with the Chega party.

Minister accuses PS of wanting to "maintain omnipresence in State bodies"

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs accused the Socialist Party (PS) of becoming a “force of granite conservatism” that resists change and seeks to maintain its grip on State institutions. Speaking at the CDS-PP Parliamentary Days, Carlos Abreu Amorim claimed the PS prefers inaction over transformation and refuses to challenge established interests. He contrasted this with the AD coalition, which he described as a force for responsibility and coherent reform. The remarks come amid a political impasse regarding the appointment of new judges to the Constitutional Court, with tensions rising between the PSD and PS over potential exclusions from the selection process.

Is Luís Montenegro really going to change the structural foundations of Portuguese democracy?

Arguing that the PSD should nominate two names and Chega the third is to subvert the rules for the composition of the Constitutional Court, as it breaks the balance between right and left. Opinion by São José Almeida.

PS warns of a "new phase" in relations with PSD if excluded from Constitutional Court nominations

Socialist leader Mariana Vieira da Silva accused the PSD of a “break with the PS” if they are excluded from the Constitutional Court elections, warning of a “new phase” in party relations, including regarding the State Budget. The impasse over the election of judges has led to failed negotiations between Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and PS leader José Luís Carneiro. Vieira da Silva argued that excluding the PS from such a fundamental regime issue would signal a rupture with the Constitution and democratic norms, potentially impacting future cooperation on the state budget.

IL asks Chega and PS for clarity on external bodies and is available to resolve the impasse

The IL challenged the PS today to clarify whether it 'is or is not blackmailing' the Government regarding the elections for external bodies and asked Chega for seriousness in this process, showing itself available to help resolve the impasse.

IL asks Chega and PS for clarity on external bodies and is available to resolve the impasse

Mariana Leitão, leader of the Liberal Initiative, says that the PS has not yet managed to “interpret the election results” of the last legislative elections.

The deadlock

The Constitutional Court case is not a dispute over names, nor a mere backroom deal for political appointments, as Ventura likes to phrase it. It is a test of how power is exercised in a democracy.

The opportunity of the stalemate

Instead of the parties agreeing among themselves on a distribution of positions, they would have to find personalities likely to be accepted by everyone.

Political impasse or tactic?

Between the sudden revival of labour dialogue after months of deadlock and the inability of PS, PSD, and Chega to fill key state positions, difficult-to-justify blockages are being exposed.

Impasse over external bodies can only be resolved by the PSD

The former president of the Assembly of the Republic admitted that the impasse 'could be harmful', but prefers that the elections be postponed 'rather than having Chega members elected to such important bodies as the Constitutional Court'.

Assembly of the Republic postpones list for external bodies once again

The list of representatives elected by the Assembly of the Republic for external bodies, such as the Council of State, the Ombudsman's Office, and three Constitutional Court judges, which was due to be presented this Monday, has been postponed again. The President of the Assembly of the Republic received a request from the PS parliamentary group to revisit the issue at the leaders' conference, which will only take place on March 25th, as the usual meeting with representatives of parliamentary forces had also been delayed by a week. The difficulty in finding a consensual list, particularly among the three largest parliamentary groups (PSD, Chega, and PS), has led to constant delays in recent months. The Ombudsman's Office has remained without a permanent head since Maria Lúcia Amaral was appointed Minister of Justice following the May 18, 2025 elections—leaving the government without being replaced in her previous role—and the death of Pinto Balsemão and the withdrawal of Pedro Nuno Santos from active politics have left the Council of State without two members. Throughout the negotiations, Social Democratic parliamentary leader Hugo Soares argued that the PS bench should have the right to nominate a candidate for the Ombudsman's Office, maintaining the practice used when the PSD is in power, despite the fact that the second-largest parliamentary bench is now Chega. There have also been obstacles from the Socialists regarding the idea of a jurist nominated by André Ventura's party being elected to the Constitutional Court. On the other hand, there is a real impasse regarding the fifth member elected by the Assembly of the Republic, with a consensus that the PSD should retain two members, and that Chega and PS should each nominate one. Currently, the PS has two (Carlos César and Pedro Nuno Santos), but the latest legislative elections resulted in Chega electing more deputies, despite having fewer voters. According to the schedule agreed upon at the leaders' conference, the vote on the list for external bodies was supposed to take place in the plenary session on April 1st, which has become unfeasible with the postponement of the list's presentation to March 25th.

Ventura acusa PS de bloquear eleições para órgãos externos da AR - Notícias ao Minuto

André Ventura, leader of Chega, accuses the Socialist Party (PS) of blocking elections for key external bodies of the Portuguese Parliament, including the Constitutional Court and the Council of State. The PS has repeatedly delayed these elections, citing the need for a suitable solution for the Constitutional Court's representation, which Ventura criticizes as an attempt to maintain PS dominance and exclude other political voices. Ventura emphasizes that this impasse hampers institutional functioning and reflects PS's reluctance to share power, especially given the country's electoral shift towards the center-right. Additionally, Ventura criticizes the Bank of Portugal regarding the pension of former governor Mário Centeno and plans to demand greater transparency and accountability from the bank.

noticiasaominuto.com16 Mar

The road to hell is paved with good intentions

It is not because we are well-intentioned that we compromise and reach an agreement. The current political impasse with three parties of equal strength cannot be overcome with goodwill, but rather with the defeat of one of them.