António José Seguro

António José Seguro
Seguro in 2025
Secretary-General of the Socialist Party
In office
23 July 2011 – 28 September 2014
PresidentAntónio de Almeida Santos
Maria de Belém Roseira
Preceded byJosé Sócrates
Succeeded byAntónio Costa
President of the Parliamentary Group of the Socialist Party
In office
31 March 2004 – 9 March 2005
Preceded byAntónio Costa
Succeeded byAlberto Martins
Minister Adjunct to the Prime Minister
In office
3 July 2001 – 8 April 2002
Prime MinisterAntónio Guterres
Preceded byArmando Vara
Succeeded byJosé Luís Arnaut
Other offices
Secretary of State Adjunct to the Prime Minister
In office
25 November 1997 – 20 July 1999
Prime MinisterAntónio Guterres
Preceded byLuís Marques Guedes
Succeeded byVitalino Canas
Secretary of State for Youth Affairs
In office
28 October 1995 – 25 November 1997
Prime MinisterAntónio Guterres
Preceded byMaria do Céu Ramos
Succeeded byMiguel Fontes
Secretary-General of the Socialist Youth
In office
29 April 1990 – 6 March 1994
Preceded byJosé Apolinário
Succeeded bySérgio Sousa Pinto
Member of the Assembly of the Republic[1][2]
In office
10 March 2005 – 8 October 2014
ConstituencyBraga
In office
5 April 2002 – 9 March 2005
ConstituencyLisbon
In office
4 November 1991 – 26 October 1995
ConstituencyPorto
Member of the European Parliament
In office
20 July 1999 – 2 July 2001
ConstituencyPortugal
Personal details
Born (1962-03-11) 11 March 1962
Penamacor, Portugal
Political partySocialist Party
Spouse
Margarida Maldonado Freitas
​
​
(m. 2001)​
Children2
Alma materLisbon University Institute
Autonomous University of Lisbon

António José Martins Seguro (born 11 March 1962) is a Portuguese politician for the Socialist Party (PS). Seguro was Secretary General of the PS from 2011 until September 2014, and he was the leader of the largest opposition party in the Portuguese Parliament. He is a candidate for the 2026 presidential election.

Early life and education

Seguro was born on 11 March 1962 in Penamacor. He entered politics at a very young age and became a member of the Portuguese Socialist Party (PS) as a youth. He attended the 1st cycle program in business organization and management at the ISCTE – Lisbon University Institute, but he did not graduate. Seguro has a degree in international relations awarded later by the Autonomous University of Lisbon.

Career

Seguro became involved in political activities from a very young age, always linked to the Socialist Party (PS). He was successively secretary general of Socialist Youth, president of the National Youth Council and chairman of the Youth Forum of the European Communities. He was first elected to the Portuguese Parliament in 1991.[3]

In 1995, the Socialist Party won the parliamentary elections, leaving the leader António Guterres to form a government. Seguro initially was Secretary of State for Youth and, starting in 1997, Secretary of State Adjunct to the Prime Minister. He also played the role of coordinator of the Standing Committee of the Portuguese Socialist Party and president of the Municipal Assembly of Penamacor.

In 1999, Seguro was elected as a Member of the European Parliament, being the second name in a list led by former President Mário Soares.[4] He served as an MEP between July 1999 and July 2001, being an effective member of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (in these functions he was co-author of the Report on the Treaty of Nice and the Future of the European Union)[5] and a substitute for the Commission for Employment and Social Affairs. He was also president of the Delegation for Relations with Central America and Mexico, vice president of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament and president of the Portuguese Socialist delegation.[6]

Seguro resigned as an MEP in 2001 to serve as Minister Adjunct to the Prime Minister, again under António Guterres.[3] In 2002, he returned to the Assembly of the Republic, serving as the Socialist Parliamentary leader from 2004 to 2005. He was also appointed member of the National Secretariat of the Socialist Party. He accumulated these positions with membership in the Municipal Assembly of Gouveia after being elected in the 2001 local elections.[7]

After Ferro Rodrigues' resignation as Secretary-general of PS in 2004, he was considered as a potential candidate for the leadership election, but he was convinced by Jorge Coelho not to run since it was "not his time".[4] He opposed the leadership of José Sócrates in several moments, breaking party discipline to vote against the party finances law, oppose consumption tax increases and defending a referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon.[4]

Secretary–general of the Socialist Party (2011–2014)

Seguro on the election night of the 2014 European Parliament election

After Prime Minister José Sócrates resigned as PS General Secretary on the election night of 5 June 2011, having lost the general election by a margin higher than expected, Seguro was elected leader of the party on 23 July 2011, winning 68% of the vote against his challenger, Francisco Assis, who got 32%.[8]

As Secretary-general, Seguro decided to abstain in the 2012 State Budget proposed by the Passos Coelho government, citing his decision as a "violent, but constructive abstention",[9] a decision that ended up attracting criticism from inside the PS.

Under Seguro's leadership, the Socialist Party managed to achieve one of its best results ever in the 2013 local elections and won the 2014 European Parliament election with Francisco Assis as the main candidate, although by a narrow margin. The results of the 2014 elections were considered narrow and insuficient, which motivated the Mayor of Lisbon António Costa to defy Seguro and run for the party leadership.[3] At the first primaries open to party supporters, Costa defeated Seguro by a landslide. Seguro resigned from the leadership the same day, leaving Costa as Secretary-general.[10]

Seguro then retired to private life and, having successfully defended his Master thesis. He started teaching in the Department of International Relations of the Autonomous University of Lisbon.[11]

2026 presidential campaign

Main article: 2026 Portuguese presidential election

In October 2024, then PS leader Pedro Nuno Santos mentioned Seguro as a potential candidate for president from the Socialist Party in the 2026 presidential election.[12] In November 2024, after being mostly out of the spotlight since 2014, Seguro gave an interview to CNN Portugal as he was starting a role as a political commentator on the channel, stating that he was interested in running for President.[13]

Seguro then positioned himself as the main candidate from the party in opposition to others like Mário Centeno, António Vitorino and Augusto Santos Silva.[14][15] He also founded the movement UPortugal, with the intention of promoting a greater participation from the citizens and fighting misinformation.[16]

In June 2025, he announced he was running for President, stating that "the country needs change and hope in a better life", defining his candidacy as a progressive alternative to the other conservative candidates, such as Luís Marques Mendes and Henrique Gouveia e Melo.[17]

He launched his campaign on 15 June 2025, in Caldas da Rainha, with the presence of major PS personalities like Francisco Assis, Alberto Martins, Maria de Belém Roseira, João Soares and Álvaro Beleza,[18] saying that, after leaving politics at a time when he could divide the party, he was now returning with the intention to unite the country.[19]

In the coming weeks, Seguro gained the support of most of the establishment of the PS, receiving the endorsement of more than half of the party federation chairs[20] and more than 100 incumbent mayors.[21] Despite that, José Luís Carneiro, the leader of PS, said that the party will only officially back any candidate after the local elections.[22]

Notable endorsements

António José Seguro
Ministers
Members of Parliament
Members of the European Parliament
Mayors
  • Alexandre Favaios – incumbent Mayor of Vila Real (since 2025)[42]
  • Armindo Jacinto – incumbent Mayor of Idanha-a-Nova (since 2013)[27]
  • Benjamin Rodrigues – incumbent Mayor of Macedo de Cavaleiros (since 2017); Chair of the Bragança Federation of the Socialist Party[36]
  • Domingos Bragança – incumbent Mayor of Guimarães (since 2013)[42]
  • Fernando Costa – former Mayor of Caldas da Rainha (1986–2013) (Social Democratic)[27]
  • Gonçalo Lopes – incumbent Mayor of Leiria (since 2019); Chair of the Leiria Federation of the Socialist Party[32]
  • Joaquim Raposo – former Mayor of Amadora (1997–2013)[27]
  • Leopoldo Rodrigues – incumbent Mayor of Castelo Branco (since 2021)[42]
  • Luís Filipe Araújo – incumbent Mayor of Gondomar (since 2025)[42]
  • Paulo Arsénio – incumbent Mayor of Beja (since 2017)[42]
  • Pedro Ribeiro – incumbent Mayor of Almeirim (since 2013)[42]
  • Rui Solheiro – former Mayor of Melgaço (1979–2009)[27]
  • Vítor Ferreira – incumbent Mayor of Amadora (since 2024)[42]
  • Vítor Marques – incumbent Mayor of Caldas da Rainha (since 2021) (Independent)[27]
  • Vítor Pereira – incumbent Mayor of Covilhã (since 2013); Chair of the Castelo Branco Federation of the Socialist Party[32]
  • And other 91 incumbent mayors[42]
Individuals

Electoral history

Legislative elections

Year Party Constituency Position # Votes % +/- Status Notes
1985 PS Lisbon ? (out of 56) 4th 255,030
19.80 / 100.00
 Decrease15.95 Not Elected Later joined parliament as an MP.[47]
1991 Porto 9 (out of 37) 2nd 313,893
32.92 / 100.00
 Increase6.19 Elected
1995 Guarda 1 (out of 4) 1st 49,498
43.65 / 100.00
 Increase16.88 Elected
2002 Lisbon 7 (out of 48) 1st 440,790
38.66 / 100
 Decrease4.04 Elected Elected president of the Socialist parliamentary group in 2004.[48]
2005 Braga 1 (out of 18) 1st 218,665
45.44 / 100.00
 Increase8.01 Elected
2009 1 (out of 19) 1st 207,695
41.73 / 100.00
 Decrease3.71 Elected
2011 1 (out of 19) 2nd 159,477
32.85 / 100.00
 Decrease8.88 Elected Elected Secretary-general of the Socialist Party in 2011.[8]

European Parliament elections

Year Party Position # Votes % +/- Status Notes
1999 PS 2 (out of 25) 1st 1,493,146
43.07 / 100.00
 Increase8.20 Elected

PS leadership election, 2011

Main article: 2011 Portuguese Socialist Party leadership election
Ballot: 22 and 23 July 2011
Candidate Votes %
António José Seguro 23,903 68.0
Francisco Assis 11,257 32.0
Blank/Invalid ballots 367 –
Turnout 35,527
Source: Diretas 2011[8]

PS leadership election, 2013

Ballot: 13 April 2013
Candidate Votes %
António José Seguro 24,843 96.5
Aires Pedro 892 3.5
Blank/Invalid ballots 990 –
Turnout 26,725 62.10
Source: Diretas 2013[49]

PS Primary election, 2014

Main article: 2014 Portuguese Socialist Party prime ministerial primary
Ballot: 28 September 2014
Candidate Votes %
António Costa 120,188 67.8
António José Seguro 55,928 31.5
Blank/Invalid ballots 1,234 0.7
Turnout 177,350 70.71
Source: Resultados[50]

References

  1. ^ "António José Seguro, Assembleia da República".
  2. ^ "As legislaturas da Assembleia da República".
  3. ^ a b c Da JS à liderança do PS: a vida de António José Seguro, o socialista que sonha com Belém (in Portuguese). Retrieved 5 February 2025 – via tvi.iol.pt.
  4. ^ a b c Valente, Liliana. ""Emotivo", "transparente", "formal". Seguro?". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  5. ^ Seguro, António José; Vigo, Iñigo Méndez de (4 May 2001). "REPORT on the Treaty of Nice and the future of the European Union" (PDF). European Parliament.
  6. ^ "5ª legislatura | António José SEGURO | Deputados | Parlamento Europeu". www.europarl.europa.eu (in Portuguese). 11 March 1962. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  7. ^ António José Seguro, In Infopédia [Em linha]. Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2012. [date retrieved: 23 April 2012].
  8. ^ a b c "António José Seguro eleito líder do PS". Económico (in Portuguese). July 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  9. ^ PÚBLICO (6 November 2011). ""Abstenção do PS vai ser violenta mas construtiva", garante Seguro". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  10. ^ "António José Seguro demite-se de secretário-geral do PS". www.jornaldenegocios.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  11. ^ "António José Seguro - Autonomous University of Lisbon". Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  12. ^ "Pedro Nuno considera Centeno "bom candidato" presidencial mas diz que há outros nomes". www.sabado.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  13. ^ "António José Seguro, a primeira grande entrevista na CNN Portugal: a candidatura à Presidência, a mágoa que não tem de Costa e a vida política que não passa pelo PS". CNN Portugal (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  14. ^ Godinho, Artur Cassiano,Rui Miguel (8 February 2025). "Três Antónios, um Augusto e um César que diz "não". PS procura candidato". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 June 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "Presidenciais: Nem uma voz se ouviu a defender Vitorino na Comissão Nacional do PS". Expresso (in Portuguese). 10 February 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  16. ^ DN/Lusa (6 April 2025). "Movimento de António José Seguro faz campanha para sensibilizar contra 'fake news'". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  17. ^ "Exclusivo: António José Seguro é candidato à Presidência da República". CNN Portugal (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  18. ^ Cunha, Mariana Lima. "Sem a direção mas com militantes de peso, autarcas e militares. Como Seguro encheu um auditório a jogar em casa". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  19. ^ Santa-Bárbara, Filipe (15 June 2025). "Seguro lança candidatura a Belém: "Afastei-me quando podia dividir, volto agora para unir"". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  20. ^ "Eleições presidenciais: aparelho do PS rende-se à candidatura de António José Seguro". Expresso (in Portuguese). 19 June 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  21. ^ Ralha, Leonardo (10 July 2025). "António José Seguro já tem apoio de 102 presidentes de Câmara socialistas". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  22. ^ "Presidenciais? Só depois das autárquicas, garante José Luís Carneiro". SIC Notícias (in Portuguese). 21 June 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  23. ^ "Adalberto Campos Fernandes apoia Seguro e atira às "elites" do PS que criticam candidatura: "Não acredito em predestinados ou em castas"". TSF Rádio Notícias (in Portuguese). 13 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  24. ^ Lusa (8 June 2025). "Presidenciais: Alberto Martins declara apoio a António José Seguro". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  25. ^ a b c d e Lopes, Ana Sá (7 July 2025). "Luís Represas, Ana Jorge e Germano de Sousa juntam-se à lista de apoiantes de Seguro". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  26. ^ Lusa (1 February 2025). "João Soares declara apoio a Seguro, que considera ser alvo de bullying no PS". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Cunha, Mariana Lima. "Sem a direção mas com militantes de peso, autarcas e militares. Como Seguro encheu um auditório a jogar em casa". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  28. ^ Tavares, Rita. "Seguro tem apoio de Severiano Teixeira e de conselheiro de três Presidentes". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  29. ^ @aapbatista (8 June 2025). "Apoiar António José Seguro é optar por um cidadão inteiro, que transportará consigo a força da tranquilidade que tem estado ausente de São Bento." – via Twitter
  30. ^ Galamba, António (10 June 2025). "Porque estarei no domingo nas Caldas com António José Seguro". Jornal i (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  31. ^ a b Martins, Luís (6 June 2025). "Socialistas da Guarda declaram apoio «total» a António José Seguro". Jornal o Interior (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g Redação (19 June 2025). "António José Seguro recebe apoio do reitor do Minho e de líderes distritais socialistas". Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  33. ^ "Além do óbvio: um novo candidato presidencial e uma nova lei da nacionalidade". SIC Notícias (in Portuguese). 29 June 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  34. ^ "Seguro apresenta candidatura "apartidária" e com críticas a Marcelo e a Gouveia e Melo". Expresso (in Portuguese). 15 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  35. ^ "Presidente da Federação do PS de Coimbra declara apoio a António José Seguro". Notícias de Coimbra (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  36. ^ a b c "Eleições presidenciais: aparelho do PS rende-se à candidatura de António José Seguro". Expresso (in Portuguese). 19 June 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  37. ^ Portugal, Rádio e Televisão de (18 June 2025). "Histórico socialista Manuel Alegre apoia António José Seguro". Histórico socialista Manuel Alegre apoia António José Seguro (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  38. ^ Tavares, Rita. "Seguro avança no terreno e socialistas começam a dar apoio como inevitável". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  39. ^ "Secretário-geral da UGT declara apoio à candidatura presidencial de António José Seguro". www.cmjornal.pt (in European Portuguese). 21 June 2025. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  40. ^ @anagomes54.bsky.social (15 June 2025). "Um discurso assente em valores, integridade, exigência ética e ambição para o futuro de 🇵🇹 e UE, o de António José Seguro candidatando-se a PR: “Afastei-me quando podia dividir. Volto agora para unir!”. Saibam PS e outros à esquerda entender, até por instinto de sobrevivência." – via Bluesky
  41. ^ "Francisco Assis apoia António Seguro às presidenciais". www.nowcanal.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  42. ^ a b c d e f g h Ralha, Leonardo (10 July 2025). "António José Seguro já tem apoio de 102 presidentes de Câmara socialistas". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  43. ^ Presidenciais são "última oportunidade" para país "ter um civil da área da esquerda" - e para Álvaro Beleza só há um nome (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 June 2025 – via cnnportugal.iol.pt.
  44. ^ Alves, Filipe (13 June 2025). "João Varandas Fernandes: "Cirurgias adicionais devem ser feitas no horário normal, com metas contratualizadas"". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  45. ^ Portugal, Rádio e Televisão de (13 June 2025). "Presidenciais. José Faria e Costa anunciou apoio a António José Seguro". Presidenciais. José Faria e Costa anunciou apoio a António José Seguro (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  46. ^ Redação (17 July 2025). "Ex-vereador da Câmara do Porto Ricardo Valente apoia António José Seguro nas presidenciais". Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  47. ^ "Biografia". www.parlamento.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  48. ^ "Líderes e Legislaturas". Grupo Parlamentar do Partido Socialista (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  49. ^ "Secretário-Geral reeleito com 96% dos votos". Socialist Party. Archived from the original on 17 April 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  50. ^ "Resultados PS Primárias 2014". PS. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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