The Central Committee of the PCP, meeting on 29 June, analysed the national and international situation and outlined the PCP's main lines of intervention for the coming months, including the local elections and the elections for President of the Republic.

I – International Situation

1. The escalation of confrontation and aggression promoted by imperialism, with the problems it deepens, the threats it poses and the worsening of the international situation it entails, can only raise great concern. This escalation is inseparable from the structural crisis of capitalism and the difficulties and contradictions facing the main capitalist powers.

Using powerful political, economic and military means, the US, with the support of the other major capitalist powers gathered in the G7, is promoting all kinds of pressures, threats and blackmail, including the application of coercive measures, to try to impose its domination and prevent bilateral and multilateral development, relationship and cooperation options by countries that assert their sovereignty and rights.

The reaffirmation of NATO's warmongering nature at its Summit in The Hague on 25 June is an expression of this reality. With the imposition of the US and with the agreement of most of its members, NATO has set itself the goal of significantly increasing spending on militarism and war - 5% of GDP by 2035, when NATO countries already account for more than half of the world's military spending - with what this amounts to a threat to peace and the diversion of billions of euros to the military-industrial complex, particularly of the US, resources that are essential for improving the living conditions of the workers and peoples.

Particularly serious is the insistence of the European imperialist powers and EU bodies to increase the militarist escalation and exacerbate the war propaganda, which is expressed in the stirring up of false external threats, with their efforts to prolong the war in Ukraine, thwarting lines of dialogue that will pave the way for a political solution to the conflict and guarantee peace and collective security in Europe.

It should be stressed that the militarist escalation is accompanied by an attack on labour rights and other fundamental rights and by the whitewashing and promotion of the extreme right.

Denouncing and rejecting NATO's confrontation and war aims, which carry the threat of a major conflict, the Central Committee of the PCP warns of the dangers of the ongoing arms escalation, which heightens the demand for the dissolution of this political-military bloc, the rejection of the militarisation of the EU and the establishment of an effective system of collective security.

2. The Central Committee of the PCP condemns the PSD/CDS government's subordination to NATO's warmongering policy and reaffirms that Portugal cannot continue to be an instrument of imperialism's strategy of confrontation. Portugal must safeguard national sovereignty and independence, defend the legitimate interests of the people and affirm the principles of the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, namely by ensuring the conditions for the Armed Forces to fulfil their constitutionally enshrined mission. Portugal must have its own voice, an independent foreign policy, diversifying its external relations, contributing to the peaceful resolution of international conflicts, the defence of peace and cooperation.

3. The Central Committee of the PCP condemns the US and Israeli aggression against Iran, in clear violation of the principles of the UN Charter and international law. This serious aggression, which included the attack on nuclear facilities, took place at a time when indirect negotiations were underway between Iran and the US regarding the agreement on Iran's nuclear programme, which the US unilaterally abandoned in 2018. We should recall that Israel is the only country to possess nuclear weapons in the Middle East, outside the scope of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and evading international scrutiny.

After decades of violations of international law, interference, destabilisation and war by the US, NATO, the EU powers and Israel, US imperialism and its allies continue to be the main culprits in the worsening situation in the Middle East.

The Central Committee of the PCP denounces the use of the Lajes Base in the aggression against Iran, with the resulting involvement of Portugal, and the alignment of the PSD/CDS government in the use of Portuguese territory for acts of imperialist aggression against other peoples.

Israel's crimes against the Palestinian people constitute a genocide that is taking place with the hypocritical complicity of the US, the EU and NATO, which continue to give Israel political cover and military support.

The scale of the barbarity, the heroic resistance of the Palestinian people and the pressure of the international solidarity movement are such that they are causing discomfort for the governments of the major Western powers, which nevertheless refuse to implement the decisions and actions that are needed.

It is imperative to end the massacres, the unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, a permanent ceasefire, as well as the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the illegally occupied Palestinian territories and the creation of the State of Palestine, where the Palestinian people will sovereignly decide their fate.

It is imperative that the Portuguese government condemn Israel's criminal policy of occupation, colonisation and aggression, demand an immediate end to the genocide, recognise and demand the creation of the State of Palestine and respect the Palestinian refugees' right of return, as determined by UN resolutions.

4. The Central Committee of the PCP, in view of the dangers that this escalation holds, calls on the workers, the youth and the Portuguese people to make their protest and outrage heard, and to continue and broaden the struggle for peace and solidarity with all the peoples who resist imperialist interference and aggression, particularly with the Palestinian people and other peoples in the Middle East.

The communists and all the revolutionary, progressive and patriotic forces around the world are faced with the demand to develop the resistance and struggle of the peoples in defence of their rights and sovereignty, including strengthening the bonds of solidarity and cooperation within the framework of a broad anti-imperialist front that will stop imperialism's attempts and pave the way for a new international order of peace and social progress.

II - National Situation

1. The current political and institutional framework is being used to heighten a policy targeted at the interests of the workers and the people, aligned with the agenda of the economic groups and multinationals, aimed at intensifying the attack on rights, democratic freedoms and compromising national interests and sovereignty.

The formation of a PSD/CDS government constitutes the continuation and intensification of the right-wing policy that will worsen the problems faced by the people and the Country. Its composition, nature and programme are an instrument at the service of exploitation, maximising the profits of economic groups, subordination to the interests of imperialism and external dependence. Among the other objectives already set out are the promotion of a policy of low wages and pensions, the attack on labour legislation, particularly the right to strike, the attack on Public Administration, the deterioration and privatisation of public services, the destruction of the National Health Service and the Public School, the assault on Social Security (centred on the attack on the welfare system), the favouring of real estate speculation, the deepening of fiscal injustice, the handing over of important strategic companies to foreign capital, the alignment with the dangerous strategy of arms race, confrontation and war.

The vote against by PS, Chega and IL on the “Motion to Reject the Government Programme” presented by the PCP and the resulting sanctioning of the government and its programme goes against national interests and are inseparable from their agreement with the fundamentals of the policy underway, even though they cynically try to distance themselves.

2. National life continues to be marked by the power of big capital and the impacts of the anti-popular policy that serves it.

There are growing signs of a slowdown in economic growth; the attack on workers' rights is intensifying; the prices of essential goods and services continue to rise; the deterioration of public services continues; housing prices are unaffordable; public investment is highly insufficient and the capacity to realise it is small, with various impacts, including delays in the implementation of the RRP. A reality that contrasts with the strong accumulation of profits by the economic groups and multinationals that we are witnessing.

The demagoguery and fierce propaganda of the government and those who support its policies do not change the nature of its class choices or the consequences they have on the lives of the workers, the people and the Country. Examples of this are the first measures announced following the elections, first and foremost those that use immigration to heighten exploitation and the attack on rights; those that increase fiscal injustice with changes to personal income tax (IRS) that favour higher incomes, serve as a decoy for further cuts in corporate income tax (IRC) and maintain low wages; those that divert colossal public resources to war and the arms race, particularly those taken on in the context of the NATO Summit; those that collude with the sale of Novo Banco (formerly BES), in a process in which the Portuguese people paid billions of euros (the negative balance for the country is over 6 billion euros), a US economic group, Lone Star, raked a significant part of that amount and a French economic group gets the bank.

3. As the XXII Congress of the PCP underlined, the conditions in which the Party, mass organisations and movements, democrats and patriots, workers and people are called to intervene and fight are more demanding today.

The reactionary agenda is intensifying, spreading lies, hate, anti-communism and racism, promoting prejudices and stereotypes, division, isolation and the weakening of the workers and people in the face of the interests of capital. Conceptions that are contrary to freedom and democracy are promoted, as well as the rewriting of history, the attack on the values and achievements of April and the instigation of war. The most backward and outdated aspects of capitalism are presented as new, with the exacerbation of individualism, of “every man for himself”, of the breakdown of bonds of solidarity, of the depreciation and caricature of the role of the State in promoting social welfare. Speeches, forces, reactionary interventions and criminal actions that cannot take place in democratic Portugal are being normalised.

These conceptions are supported by a powerful ideological control machine which, using the mainstream media and social networks in particular, aims to condition opinion, attitudes and positions on a mass scale, in a process designed to guarantee favourable conditions for achieving the agenda and objectives of big capital.

Combating the ongoing ideological offensive requires determination and courage. It requires denouncing injustices, the nature of the economic groups and clarifying the central role of the confrontation between labour and capital. It requires identifying Chega and IL with the interests of big capital and the policies of the PSD/CDS government. It requires denouncing the PS's commitments to the government and supporting the viability of its policy. It demands a break with the course of national disaster and the affirmation of the patriotic and left-wing alternative, and not its dilution, which would only serve the interests of capital and further fuel reactionary projects and forces. It requires the defence of freedom and democracy and compliance with the Constitution. It requires denouncing capitalism, which is the root of the main problems facing the workers, the people and the Country. It requires resisting and taking the initiative. It requires boosting the struggle, strengthening the mass organisations, the convergent action of the communists with other democrats and patriots, a stronger PCP.

4. Faced with a PSD/CDS government with an anti-popular project that Chega and IL identify with and that the PS also facilitates, the PCP assumes itself as opposition to the government and its policies. What is needed is to isolate the right-wing policy and its reactionary agenda and to fight the right-wing forces without hesitation, be they PSD and CDS, or Chega and IL.

The capacity for resistance and the struggle of the workers and the people are particularly important. The rise of anti-democratic forces and projects can and must be countered by the intervention of that huge majority who, regardless of the electoral choices of the moment, aspire to the materialisation of their rights and to a better life, to a democratic and progressive Portugal. An intervention that, having specific and different expressions, uniting democrats and patriots, mobilising the energies and availability of the vast majority of the people to act in defence of their rights and in building a better life, needs to be expanded in the many struggles that lie ahead, in the coherent institutional intervention, in the courageous opposition to right-wing politics and reactionary projects in each of the upcoming elections.

III - Elections

1. The local elections at the beginning of next autumn and the elections for President of the Republic at the start of 2026 are particularly significant moments.

2. The local elections are an important moment for affirming and building a better life, for choosing those who in each parish and municipality can guarantee work, honesty and competence at the service of the people and for the progress of each land. A moment to unite around local progress and the common and general public interest, all those who aspire to see their living conditions materialised.

It is this broad sense of convergence and unity around the resolution of local problems that finds in the CDU the space that unites this dimension of participation with the guarantee of administration dictated by criteria of rigour and the exercise of office at the service of the people. The CDU presents itself in the coming local elections with a heritage of work and achievements, holding a distinctive project that is essential for improving living conditions at local level.

The local elections require determined action to guarantee the presence of municipal candidates throughout the country and in as many parishes as possible, boosting a broad unitary and popular front capable of uniting around the CDU, thousands of candidates and supporters, with or without party affiliation, affirming it as a space for democratic realisation, convergence and participation.

When demagogic projects germinate in which: forces that essentially share the same conceptions are set up as false alternatives; ‘independent’ candidacies are forged, many of which are mere surrogates for candidates who are disaffected or disregarded by their parties; alliances are drawn up without criteria, orientated only to disguise weaknesses or lack of local intervention; fabricate and promote fronts without any consideration for what is at stake in local elections - the affirmation of the CDU, its project, its work and the proven dedication and the ethical stance of its elected representatives, in contrast to the PSD, PS and CDS (now joined by the presence of Chega and IL), is the guarantee of administration that serves the public interest and the valorisation of local life. Their presence is all the more decisive given the government's intensification of a policy of disregard for the interests of the people, of abandonment and commodification of essential aspects of life, which requires a firm stance in representing people's interests and demanding the rights that it is the State's responsibility to guarantee.

3. The elections for President of the Republic take on particular importance in the current political and institutional framework, both in terms of the future President's position regarding the Constitution of the Republic and the values of April, and in terms of his position regarding the agenda of social and democratic regression that is being promoted.

The valorisation and projection of images or concepts such as ‘authority’ or ‘strong power’, from capital’s centres of domination, aim to give support to the ambitions of candidacies in which anti-democratic dynamics are agglutinated, within a framework in which other candidacies are presented as being in the running, converge in essence with the interests of monopoly capital, do not provide guarantees of the exercise of presidential functions in accordance with what the Constitution requires, nor do they correspond to the need for a firm position in defence of democracy and in the fight against reactionary forces and projects.

The Central Committee of the PCP, rejecting the fallacious attempt by some to present the elections for President of the Republic as if its outcome is pre-determined, affirms that it is up to the Portuguese people to decide.

What is needed in the current context is to help elect a President of the Republic who assumes and defends democratic criteria and values, respects rights, freedoms and guarantees, identifies with the interests of the workers and the people and is committed to the duty of fulfilling and enforcing the Constitution.

For these reasons, the intervention of a candidacy presented by the PCP is indispensable, in order to affirm the way in which it sees and defends the exercise of the functions of the President of the Republic, to mobilise the workers and the people for this electoral battle and to contribute to ensuring that this body of sovereignty respects and complies with the Constitution.

The Central Committee of the PCP has therefore decided to present the candidacy of António Filipe for President of the Republic in the 2026 elections.

A candidacy that, in a distinctive way, upholds the values of April, the rights of the workers and people, equality and social justice, national sovereignty and independence, peace and cooperation.

A candidacy that, due to his record of seriousness, integrity and commitment to the public cause, his dedication to defending the rights, interests and aspirations of the Portuguese people, democracy, sovereignty and peace, will be the voice of the aspirations of the workers, the people and the youth.

A candidacy that, saying no to resignation and fear, will intervene for the fulfilment of the Constitution and the values of April enshrined in it, as a path and project for development capable of responding to the problems and aspirations of the workers, the people and the Country.

A candidacy that denounces exploitation, inequality and injustice, and fights reactionary conceptions and projects. A candidacy that fights the interests of big capital, that says no to militarism and war and strives for peace, collective security and cooperation, that defends sovereignty and national interests.

A candidacy that is a space for convergence in which all democrats and patriots who champion the project enshrined in the Constitution, regardless of their political and party choices, all workers, all men and women who fight for a fairer, more sovereign and developed Portugal.

The Central Committee of the PCP stresses that this is the moment for all those who are concerned about the course of the Country, the choices made by the ruling classes and the growing injustices, for all those who take up the defence of April's liberating and emancipating project to act for a Portugal with a future.

IV – Mass struggle

1. The Central Committee of the PCP stresses the significance of the struggles that have taken place since its last meeting, appreciates the dozens of actions carried out with the involvement of thousands of workers and emphasises the importance of developing the mass struggle in the current political and institutional framework.

The actions to increase wages, valorise careers, reduce working hours and combat precarious work, among other demands, stand out.

Struggles in which thousands of workers from various sectors were involved, namely: the metal, electrical and electronics, automobile, aeronautics and glass industries; transport, food and beverage, shops and large retail, hotels, postal services, contact centres, Private Social Welfare Institutions (IPSS); central and local Public Administration, healthcare, education and justice.

Also noteworthy were the 10th. Conference of Inter-Reformados (Pensioners) and the 9th. National Conference of the Commission for Equality between Women and Men, specific organisations of the CGTP-IN.

2. The Central Committee of the PCP also stresses the struggle being carried out by other social strata and sectors, namely:

The fight against the policy of progressively dismembering the NHS and handing it over to economic groups, which has resulted in particular in the closure of services, especially obstetric and paediatric emergencies, and difficulties in accessing medical appointments and surgeries.

The struggle for the right to housing in various cities across the country on June 28 and 29, especially in Lisbon and Porto, with the involvement of thousands of people.

The struggle of pensioners, for an increase in pensions and the right to age with rights, with various initiatives and the involvement of thousands of participants.

The struggle of the small and medium-sized winegrowers of the Douro region, for an increase in production prices and against the blackmail of the big ‘export houses’, demanding government intervention and measures.

3. The Central Committee of the PCP stresses the struggle in defence of Peace, against the policy of confrontation and war, against the increase in military spending, in particular the IV Meeting for Peace, held on May 31, in Seixal. The fight against Israel's criminal offensive in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and for peace in the Middle East, against Israel's and the US's aggression against Iran, against NATO's arms escalation expressed at its last summit, for peace and cooperation, involving dozens of demonstrations and gatherings across the country.

The Central Committee of the PCP also highlights the struggle that has been taking place against the whitewashing of fascism, racism, xenophobia, the actions of reactionary and fascist groups and to uphold the values of April.

4. The Central Committee of the PCP calls on the workers, the people and all democrats to mobilise in defence of their concrete demands, against right-wing policies and the government's actions, for an alternative patriotic and left-wing policy, for peace and solidarity.

V - Party

1. The Central Committee of the PCP underlines the intervention of the organisations and militants of the Party and the JCP following the May 18 legislative elections, discussing and analysing, fighting against resignation and standing on the sideline, with action and initiative, affirming the path of resistance, confidence and the alternative that the workers, the people and the Country need. Highlights include: the meetings and plenary sessions to discuss and plan the action; the rallies held in the districts of Lisbon, Porto and Setúbal and the tribute to Catarina Eufémia in Baleizão; the action on increasing wages and pensions with the finalisation of the collection of signatures on the petition, which reached more than 140,000 signatories; the March "Comply with the Constitution. Increase Wages and Pensions. For a Better Life‘, in Lisbon and Porto, with thousands of participants; the intervention in the Assembly of the Republic, with the presentation of the “Motion to Reject the Government Programme” and the tabling of initiatives on important issues and commitments made, namely wages, pensions, healthcare, housing, the cost of living or in defence of Palestine; the intervention in the European Parliament; the meetings with independents; the preparations for the local elections, which included hundreds of initiatives, namely the national action to affirm the CDU, the presentation of candidates and the preparation of slates; the encouragement of the struggle of the workers and the people; the struggle for peace and solidarity with Palestine.

2. Emphasising the Party's essential objectives and the integration of its action in these objectives, it is particularly important to promote the following in the immediate future: political initiative; stimulating the mass struggle and strengthening the unitary mass organisations; working with other democrats and patriots; the local elections; the elections for President of the Republic; the Avante! Festival; Party building.

3. The Central Committee of the PCP points out the need to take the initiative at various levels, particularly in the Assembly of the Republic and in the European Parliament, to enlighten the workers and the People about the situation in the Country, the objectives of the government and capital and the demand for solutions and an alternative policy.

4. Especially important is the preparation of the Avante! Festival, the biggest political and cultural initiative in the Country, a festival of the youth, a festival of April, to be held on September 5, 6 and 7, with its dissemination, the sale of the Entry Pass (EP), its programmes, construction and operation.

5. Linking political initiative, mass action and ideological struggle, bearing in mind the guidelines of the XXII Congress to strengthen the Party, which include the work of leadership, structuring, propaganda, the press and financial independence, there is an immediate need for particular attention to be paid to attributing responsibilities to cadres, to recruiting and integrating new militants, to functioning, boosting and intervening in the company cells and to preparing the 13th. JCP Congress to be held on November 15 and 16.

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In view of these demands, the Central Committee of the PCP expresses its confidence in the ability of the party collective to resist and take the initiative, in the strength and mobilisation of the workers and the people, in responding to popular wishes and aspirations, in combating the actions of big capital, government policy and reactionary projects, in demanding a break with right-wing policies, in affirming the patriotic and left-wing alternative, in the struggle for Democracy and Socialism.