The positions were first expressed by the social-democratic parliamentary leader, Hugo Soares, followed by Luís Montenegro, at the start of the debate on the Government’s State Budget proposal for 2026, after André Ventura mentioned an increase in ISP that would penalize taxpayers.
In response, Hugo Soares challenged the leader of Chega to identify two taxes with projected increases in the government’s budget proposal. Subsequently, Luís Montenegro commented that André Ventura “would not be able to respond” to this challenge.
“It is not worth contaminating this debate, because it does not correlate with reality. The European imposition is even more acute at the current moment because Portugal is below the average tax burden on fuels in the European Union. That is, Portugal has a tax burden on fuels below the EU average and is simultaneously giving consumers a discount,” said the executive leader.
The Prime Minister criticized the president of Chega for allegedly spreading a misconception regarding the Tax on Petroleum Products (ISP). This criticism came after Hugo Soares pointed out, using irony, that “it’s a good thing” André Ventura is no longer a technician at the Tax Authority, “because he confuses revenue increase with a tax increase.”
The Prime Minister stated that this “misconception” about the ISP “is a lifeline for those trying to find something negative in the Government’s fiscal policy.”
Luís Montenegro argued that the projected revenue increase in ISP, about 4.6%, results from a forecasted rise in consumption. A separate issue, he added, is the European Commission’s stance regarding the ISP discount applied in Portugal since 2022, at a time when the cost of diesel and petrol was higher than it is currently.
“We have resisted complying with this insistence from the European Commission, but we are aware that we cannot indefinitely postpone a solution. We are studying in the Government the possibility that the end of the discount, when we implement it, will not impact the amount paid by the consumer,” declared Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, the minister of State and Finance.
Following the Prime Minister’s response, André Ventura requested to address the Assembly of the Republic, during which he took the opportunity to react to the PSD parliamentary leader’s challenge. The Chega president then argued that environmental taxes will increase by more than 4% next year and that cutting the ISP discount will cost taxpayers 500 million euros in 2026.
“The Prime Minister is lying,” he said, prompting protests, notably from the PSD benches.
At this stage of the debate, the president of the PSD Parliamentary Group also reacted against statements made by André Ventura concerning the Estado Novo period, suggesting that Portugal needs “three Salazars.”
“Mr. Deputy André Ventura, let me tell you, because there are matters with which democracy cannot compromise. The big question of one Salazar, two Salazars, three Salazars, is just one: If it were in those times, you wouldn’t even have the opportunity to be here to say what you said,” declared Hugo Soares.
[News updated at 16:51]
