Brilhante Dias urges PS to win back AD voters
At the PS’s 25th Congress in Viseu, the parliamentary leader called for the party to reach out beyond its base and recover trust from those who backed the Aliança Democrática — including some Chega voters. He framed the push as essential to counter what he called worsening housing and health after two years of Luís Montenegro’s government and to position the PS to win the next legislative contest.
Mar 22, 2026, 11:27 AM EDT
Why it matters:
- The PS is publicly shifting toward outreach beyond its traditional base to recapture voters who backed the AD; success could decide the next legislative outcome and reshape campaign strategy.
Driving the news:
- Eurico Brilhante Dias told the PS to "speak to those who trusted their vote to the Aliança Democrática" and to reconquer their confidence, a call made on the second day of the party's 25th Congress in Viseu.
- He argued that after two years of Luís Montenegro’s government the country is "worse" on key services such as housing and health, using that framing to explain voter drift.
- Brilhante Dias rejected the idea that the PS should be a purely destructive opposition, saying it must aggregate proposals and broaden debate beyond the party.
- Delegates also presented a sectoral motion urging secretary-general José Luís Carneiro to abandon the party's "wall of nim" and more clearly present the PS as an alternative.
State of play:
- The 25th PS Congress runs through Sunday in Viseu; senior figures are debating strategy and messaging ahead of future electoral tests.
- Brilhante Dias said he is confident that if the party reconnects with those voters it will "win the next legislative elections," signalling high stakes for party unity and direction.
Between the lines:
- Targeting voters who supported the AD — and naming Chega voters as part of the outreach — signals a deliberate attempt to peel center-right support rather than only mobilise the left.
- The motion against the "wall of nim" shows internal pressure for the PS leadership to shift from defensive positioning to a clearer, more assertive alternative.
What to watch:
- Whether the PS leadership adopts concrete outreach policies and messaging aimed at AD and Chega voters in the weeks after the congress.
- How José Luís Carneiro responds to the motion and whether the party’s platform for housing and health is strengthened to match the rhetorical critique.
The bottom line:
- The PS is publicly recalibrating strategy at its congress, urging outreach to former AD voters and framing government performance on housing and health as the opening to recover trust and future electoral success.