PS Fires Back at Chega: Accuses Far-Right of Selling Out Young and Elderly in Tax Deal

Political Clash Over Budget and Tax Policies

After André Ventura accused the PS of being 'sold out' for deciding to abstain on the 2026 State Budget, thus enabling its approval, parliamentary leader Eurico Brilhante Dias countered by alleging that Chega helped the government led by Luís Montenegro pass reductions in corporate and high-income taxes. Brilhante Dias claimed that Chega effectively 'sold out vulnerable elderly and young graduates' by supporting these measures.

According to Brilhante Dias, Chega 'sold the youth and pensioners' in negotiations with the government, approving a phased reduction of the IRC (Corporate Income Tax) from 20% to 17% between 2026 and 2028. This move, voted on in Parliament, involves annual amounts that he argued 'would be enough to structurally increase the lowest pensions'. Additionally, Chega backed an IRS (Personal Income Tax) cut for higher brackets, funded by eliminating the final tuition payment for university graduates completing their degrees.

Brilhante Dias emphasized, 'If there's a party that sold its electorate in the first negotiation, it's this party,' referring to Chega. In contrast, he defended the PS's abstention in the 2026 budget as necessary for political stability, citing the budgetary framework and the need to complete the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) execution. He noted that the government met the PS's clear rules on labor laws, the National Health Service (SNS), and fiscal policy regarding the budget.

The socialist deputy added a touch of irony, suggesting that 'the far-right party shouts, perhaps, because it's losing some influence' over the government in the budgetary process.