Portugal's Socialist Party chief demands PM Montenegro apologise for exam chaos

José Luís Carneiro, secretary‑general of Portugal’s Socialist Party, demanded that Prime Minister Luís Montenegro apologise to families, teachers and schools for the "absolutely serious" situation caused by the failure of the electronic system used in the second phase of the national exams. He accused Education Minister Fernando Alexandre and the government of allowing chaos in schools, postponing the release of results and the second‑phase exams, and of trying to hide the severity of the problem.

The Ministry of Education announced a new calendar, delaying the second‑phase exams and the publication of results, while stating that university admission applications will remain unchanged as of 20 July. Carneiro made the demand at the 22nd Congress of the PS Porto District Federation in Vila do Conde, also expressing solidarity with those affected by extreme heat and fires.

He said, “If I were prime minister, I would already have asked for an apology to Portuguese families.”