Diesel jumps 19 cents; queues form at pumps

Diesel prices in Portugal are set to rise by about €0.19 and petrol by roughly €0.07 next Monday, prompting long queues at filling stations as motorists top up in advance. Consumer group DECO PROteste warned higher fuel costs will ripple through the economy, increasing transport and food prices, while analysts flag fertilizer supply pressures tied to Brent crude and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. The price shock has also prompted political pushback, with some parties demanding an urgent parliamentary debate on relief measures. Drivers and shoppers should expect higher local transport and grocery costs in the coming weeks.

Update: Chega leader calls for VAT return, urgent debate

André Ventura, leader of Chega, challenged the government to “return to taxpayers” the extra VAT (IVA (Imposto sobre o Valor Acrescentado)) revenue generated by the coming fuel-price rise and said his party will ask for an urgent debate in the Assembleia da República next week; he also described the government’s 3.55‑cent ISP (Imposto sobre Produtos Petrolíferos or ISP) discount as insufficient.

Context & Explainers

Deco Proteste is a Portuguese consumer-protection organisation that offers advice, product testing, dispute mediation and information on billing, insurance and consumer rights. Today it set up a telephone helpline to help people affected by severe weather with payment moratoria, insurance claims, housing damage and billing adjustments; services are mainly in Portuguese and some help may be reserved for members, so callers should have policy numbers, photos and receipts ready.

Brent crude is a major international oil price benchmark made up of several light, low-sulfur crude oils produced in the North Sea; its price is quoted in US dollars per barrel. It is one of the two main global benchmarks, alongside West Texas Intermediate (WTI), and is widely used to price shipments to Europe and Africa. Because petrol and diesel in Portugal generally track Brent, a rise in the Brent price usually leads to higher pump prices, higher transport costs, and more expensive goods; one barrel equals 159 litres.

André Ventura, born January 15, 1983, is a lawyer, academic, and Portugal's most prominent far-right leader. He founded Chega ("Enough") in 2019 after his PSD mayoral campaign attacked the Romani community. Chega surged from 1.3% in 2019 to 22.8% in May 2025, becoming parliament's second-largest party and making Ventura Leader of the Opposition.

His platform emphasizes immigration restrictions, law-and-order policies, constitutional reform, and contains inflammatory anti-Romani rhetoric that has triggered multiple discrimination convictions and investigations. Politically classified as far-right by international media, Ventura cultivates alliances with European far-right figures including Marine Le Pen and Santiago Abascal.

He announced his 2026 presidential candidacy, polling at 18% alongside independent Admiral Gouveia e Melo. His rise ended Portugal's 50-year resistance to far-right parties.

The ISP is Portugal's excise tax on fuels — the Tax on Petroleum and Energy Products (Imposto sobre Produtos Petrolíferos e Energéticos) — charged as a unit rate per litre on petrol, diesel and other fuels. The government sets and can temporarily cut those unit rates; a recent decision to reduce the rate for road diesel on the mainland aims to lower pump prices and reduce transport costs for drivers and businesses, though it also lowers tax revenue.