Parliament has approved amendments to the new social mobility subsidy model for air travel between the mainland and the Azores and Madeira. The Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) voted against the measures and remained isolated, while the PS and Chega joined forces to pass the changes in a final global vote.
Parliament approves changes to social mobility subsidy

Context & Explainers
Rui Rio is a centre‑right politician who served as mayor of Porto from 2002 to 2013 and led the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata) from 2018 to 2022. Known for moderate and fiscally cautious positions, he remains an influential voice in PSD debates and national politics, so journalists and party members often cite his views.

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.
Sources (3)
- Parliament approves changes to the new social mobility subsidy modelRTP Notícias · 3:50pm, 10 Apr 2026
- PSD isolated in vote on mobility subsidy amendmentsECO · 5:40pm, 10 Apr 2026
- PSD isolated in vote on mobility subsidy amendments, accuses PS and Chega of joining forcesCorreio da Manhã · 5:36pm, 10 Apr 2026




