The Social Democratic Party (PSD), Chega, and CDS-People's Party (CDS-PP) have proposed amendments to the 2018 gender identity law, including restrictions on medical interventions for minors. The proposals faced sharp criticism from the Liberal Initiative (Iniciativa Liberal or IL) and left-wing parties, who described the move as a regression of fundamental rights. Residents should note that the debate in the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República) was met with protests from LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups.
Parliament debates controversial changes to gender identity legislation

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.

- Leader: Mariana Leitão (since July 2025)
- Ideology: Classical liberalism, economic libertarianism
Founded in 2017, the Liberal Initiative advocates for reduced state intervention, tax simplification, labor market liberalization, and secular liberalism under the motto "Less State, More Freedom". The party gained its first parliamentary seat in 2019 and now holds 9 seats. Mariana Leitão, 42, became the party's first female leader in July 2025 after Rui Rocha resigned following disappointing 2025 election results. Leitão previously served as parliamentary leader and has been announced as the party's candidate for the 2026 presidential election. The party explicitly rejects alliances with both far-left and far-right parties, positioning itself as the "only alternative" that won't negotiate with extremes.
Sources (4)
- Left and IL accuse PSD, Chega and CDS of attacking fundamental rights with proposals on gender identityCorreio da Manhã · 8:46pm, 19 Mar 2026
- Gender identity: IL joins the left in accusations against the PSD proposal also supported by Chega and CDSCNN Portugal · 10:38pm, 19 Mar 2026
- The Left and IL oppose proposals on gender identityObservador · 9:54pm, 19 Mar 2026
- Gender identity: PSD, Chega, and CDS-PP unite to change the lawRTP Notícias · 9:19pm, 19 Mar 2026



