The Religious Freedom Commission (CLR) has issued an opinion accusing two Chega deputies and a local councillor of hate speech and discrimination against the Islamic community in Madeira. This marks the first time in its 22-year history that the independent body has issued such an opinion regarding hate crimes. The document argues that labeling all people of Islamic faith as 'terrorists' or 'parasites' goes beyond political discourse and constitutes criminal defamation and incitement to hatred under the Portuguese Penal Code, as it attacks the dignity of a group based on their religion.
Religious Freedom Commission accuses Madeiran Chega deputies of "unequivocal" hate crimes
Monday, 27 April 2026RSS
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.
