The deadline for submitting amendments to the State Budget for 2026 (OE2026) concluded today, marking the end of the specialized hearings in Parliament.
The party led by André Ventura submitted over 600 amendment proposals, highlighting three priority measures aimed at addressing some of the most urgent issues faced by the Portuguese and promoting the country’s development: the increase in pensions, the reduction of fuel prices, and the revision of the Social Insertion Income (RSI) regime, stated the party’s parliamentary group in a note.
CHEGA proposes increasing pensions up to 1,567.50 euros, equivalent to three times the value of the Social Support Index (IAS), a measure the party considers of “elemental intergenerational justice.”
Referring to data from Pordata and the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (ICOR), in 2023, the party’s deputies noted that “the elderly are the age group where the risk of poverty rate increases the most, rising from 17.1% in 2022 to 21.1% in 2023.”
Currently, one in five elderly people lives alone with a gross income of less than 632 euros or is part of a household in poverty, the party emphasizes.
“It’s time to value an age group that has contributed so much to the development of our country,” the party states, stressing the need to ensure dignity and stability to those who have dedicated their working lives to Portugal.
Regarding fuels, the party’s proposal foresees the elimination of the additional tax on Petroleum Products (ISP) to reduce the final price of fuels and increase the disposable income of families.
Portugal maintains one of the highest fuel prices in the European Union, largely due to the weight of the ISP, as noted.
Additionally, the party finds it “unacceptable” that the government intends to eliminate the current discounts on ISP to meet recommendations of the European Semester, “which are not binding and should not penalize the Portuguese.”
On the third priority, Chega aims to “ensure greater justice and sustainability in the social security system” by proposing “the introduction of minimum requirements for legal residency and contributions to access the Social Insertion Income (RSI) and Family Allowance,” states the parliamentary group.
“The initiative aims to ensure that non-contributory benefits financed by taxes benefit those with an effective and contributory link to the country,” it says, without compromising the right to the minimum income already guaranteed by other legal mechanisms, it clarifies.
The party’s parliamentary group stresses that this proposal “respects the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic and follows the example of European countries.”
For CHEGA, it is about “promoting balanced, fair, and sustainable social protection,” ensuring that “the system remains robust and sustainable for future generations.”
With these proposals, “the party presents firm solutions to restore dignity to the Portuguese, relieve the tax burden, and put the country back on a path of growth with justice and balance,” concludes the statement.
