The president of Chega, André Ventura, announced on Wednesday that he has instructed Chega’s elected officials to begin an assessment of payments made to “minorities.”
“Today I issued a directive to immediately start the assessment of all subsidies and social support paid to minorities who do not work, in order to end this practice in Portugal. This will be a revolution in local governments,” he said to journalists at the Assembly of the Republic, emphasizing the party’s significant influence in most municipal councils across the country.
After the first meeting of the party with its elected officials, Ventura mentioned that similar changes would need to be made in the State Budget. “People cannot vote without seeing consequences. That’s why I insisted on directing all officials to start the cut immediately. The Budget must reflect this as well,” he stated.
When asked about managing this cut, Ventura responded that it would be “very simple,” citing an example: “People living in municipal housing who have been convicted of drug trafficking. This needs to end now.”
Ventura also emphasized the party’s current crucial role, stating that “it is decisive in seven of the largest municipalities in the country; no decision passes without Chega’s support in these seven councils.”
“I would like to see this reflected in the State Budget too. We look at Social Security and it remains unchanged,” he said, declaring that the party will not “negotiate or concede support.”
