The article reports that the Chega party in Lisbon has distanced itself from Bruno Mascarenhas, a party-appointed city councilor, following recent controversies. The party's parliamentary leader, Luís Pereira Nunes, emphasized that the assembly and the city council operate separately and that the party does not endorse Mascarenhas's actions. The controversy arose after allegations surfaced that Mascarenhas's partner, Mafalda Livermore, was involved in renting out clandestine housing to immigrants in poor conditions and was under investigation for legal misconduct. The incident has sparked debates about transparency and integrity in municipal appointments, with opposition members criticizing the party's lack of oversight and the potential infiltration of harmful elements into democratic institutions.
"Não nos revemos minimamente no que se passa na vereação": Chega distancia-se de Bruno Mascarenhas em Lisboa - TVI Notícias
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.
