Repeating a solution already implemented in municipalities such as Lisbon, Vila Nova de Gaia, Sintra, and Cascais, the Social Democratic executive in Aveiro, led by Luís Souto Miranda, integrated a Chega councillor, Diogo Machado, into a full-time role this Tuesday (28), thereby securing an absolute majority. The proposal was approved via the mayor's casting vote after CDS-PP councillor Ana Cláudia Oliveira abstained, highlighting discomfort within the PSD's coalition partner. The move grants the executive five aligned members out of nine, though specific portfolios for the Chega councillor remain undefined. The CDS-PP and the Socialist Party (PS) have both criticised the decision, with the CDS-PP noting it was not consulted on the change to the governing model, and the PS questioning the necessity of the appointment given their history of supporting most municipal proposals.
PSD makes agreement with Chega to secure absolute majority in Aveiro
Context & Explainers
Chega ("Enough") is a Portuguese far-right populist party founded in 2019 by André Ventura. It positions itself as an anti-establishment movement against what it calls a "rotten and corrupt system" of PS-PSD dominance. The party surged from 1.3% in 2019 to 22.8% in May 2025, becoming parliament's second-largest force with 60 seats. Chega's core platform emphasizes strict immigration control—ending automatic CPLP residency, deporting non-independent immigrants, implementing job-market quotas, and requiring five-year social security contributions before benefit access. It advocates radical constitutional reform, including reducing parliament to 100 members, abolishing the prime minister position for a presidential system, and dismantling public healthcare. Law-and-order policies include life imprisonment and chemical castration proposals.
The party is defined by inflammatory anti-Romani rhetoric, with Ventura convicted multiple times for discrimination. Chega maintains international alignments with European far-right figures including Marine Le Pen, Santiago Abascal, and Matteo Salvini. Mainstream Portuguese parties, including Prime Minister Luís Montenegro's government, have imposed a cordon sanitaire, refusing coalition with Chega despite its parliamentary strength.
