The president of Chega today accused the government of “cheap electoralism” for announcing an extraordinary pension supplement before local elections and proposed negotiating with the executive for a minimum pension equivalent to the national minimum wage.
“We have to tell the truth: it is very strange for a government with elections in October to grant an extraordinary supplement in September. It frankly gives an impression of cheap electoralism. There’s an election in October, so they hand out crumbs in September. It’s not positive, it’s not a good approach,” criticized André Ventura.
The Chega leader was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the presentation of Chega’s municipal candidates for the Setúbal district in Charneca de Caparica, Almada. He referred to the government’s decree, promulgated today by the President of the Republic, which provides for an extraordinary pension supplement up to 1,567.50 euros to be granted in September.
Ventura highlighted that Portugal “has a serious problem” with low pensions and expressed his desire to negotiate with the government so that “this pension increase is higher and progressively approaches — because that must be the goal — having a minimum pension equivalent to the minimum wage.”
“It can’t be done in a year or two, but it’s possible to start moving towards that,” he argued.
Regarding the reduction of the Corporate Income Tax (IRC), also announced by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro during the state of the nation debate, and still to be approved by parliament, Ventura stated that he intends to discuss with the head of the executive in early September “to ensure that also the surcharge — which affects many companies and especially those with more employees — can decrease significantly.”
“And eventually reach the State Budget with the guarantee of a reduction in Personal Income Tax (IRS), which Chega has already achieved for those with lower incomes, of Corporate Income Tax through an agreement with the government and also the state surcharge for companies. I would say that even to break with the socialist past and with the PS, it’s a good starting point for conversation and a good environment as we approach the OE negotiations,” he stated.
The government today approved, in a Council of Ministers meeting, a draft law for the Corporate Income Tax rate to decrease from the current 20% to 19% in 2026, and, in the following two years, for the corporate profits tax to drop again, with a reduction of the general rate to 18% in 2027 and a cut to 17% in 2028.
