The Social Security Institute (ISS) will open public competitions to hire 27 top managers, covering leadership positions at institutes, general directorates, and services directly dependent on the governing board. The announcement was made by the chair of the governing board of ISS, Ana Pinho, who indicated that the process will be launched shortly through a dedicated electronic portal.
The positions in question include the leadership of all district centers on the mainland, a total of 18 positions, in addition to national service directorates. Ana Pinho stated that the intention is to attract qualified professionals for the management of the institution, which manages an annual budget of approximately 30 billion euros.
The news comes in a context of political tension between the government and the opposition, with the PSD criticizing the way the executive has proceeded with appointments to leadership positions. The social-democratic party argues that the current directors of the district centers were chosen based on criteria of partisan proximity, and not professional merit.
The government of Portugal, led by the PS, has been facing recurring criticism from the opposition regarding the appointment of party loyalists to positions in the public administration. The Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity has not publicly commented on the situation, but executive sources indicate that the competitions are precisely aimed at ensuring greater transparency and rigor in the selection processes.
