Tensions Rise in Portuguese Parliament as Chega Protests Miguel Arruda's New Role

Political Turmoil in Portugal

The President of the Assembly of the Republic, Aguiar-Branco, announced on Friday that Miguel Arruda, elected by the Chega party, has now become an independent member. This decision sparked significant protests from the parliamentary leader of Chega, Pedro Pinto, regarding Arruda's assigned seating.

Arruda is to be seated in the last row between the benches of Chega and the PSD, a move that has drawn criticism and concern. Pinto expressed his unease about Arruda sitting next to Chega deputies, citing past tensions and stating, "I cannot answer for my parliamentary group and what may happen during this plenary session."

Pinto also lamented that the parliamentary rules allow such a transition to independent status and called for a constitutional review of this process.

In a twist, Rui Tavares, co-spokesperson for the Livre party, referenced Arruda's recent legal troubles involving allegations of baggage theft, adding to the controversy.

Initially, Aguiar-Branco upheld the seating decision but later suspended the session for five minutes, summoning parliamentary leaders to his office for discussions. Upon their return, the assembly proceeded with the planned agenda, and Arruda took his designated seat.

In a recent development, after a meeting with Chega's president, André Ventura, Arruda announced his departure from the party while retaining his position in the Assembly. Ventura criticized Arruda's explanations as unconvincing, stating that to remain affiliated with Chega, he should have suspended or resigned from his mandate.

With Arruda's shift to independent status, the Chega parliamentary group now consists of 49 deputies, down from 50.