In a press conference at the party headquarters in Lisbon, André Ventura announced that "Chega will propose to parliament the calling of a referendum on a date to be defined jointly by the various sovereign bodies, but which should be set for the beginning of next year, in January".

The Chega leader indicated that the objective is for the Portuguese people to be called upon to decide whether an “annual limit on immigrants in the country should be established, previously defined by law, which can be reviewed periodically” and also whether they “agree or not with the definition of quotas previously framed by areas of specialisation and the needs of the economy”.

This is one of “three major proposals that cannot be ignored to make the State Budget for 2025 viable” the party announced today. Chega also wants a “financial reinforcement for border control” and a review of “subsidies and social support paid to foreigners”.

Benefits

André Ventura insisted on an idea that he has defended, that “no one should receive a social benefit in Portugal before contributing five years to the Portuguese Social Security system”. When asked directly whether the three proposals are conditions for the approval of the State Budget, Ventura said that “they are conditions for the negotiation of the Budget” and highlighted the referendum. “If the referendum is not held by the Government, it will be difficult for us to vote in favour of the State Budget, which is what the Government needs to pass the Budget”, he argued further, stating that this is “another condition for the approval of the State Budget”, along with others that the party has been defining.

The leader of Chega maintained that “calling a referendum should not even be the subject of any objection, since it is calling the Portuguese people to the polls to make a decision for themselves” and said that he had already contacted the PSD informally.

“We are making a full effort to ensure that there are political conditions for budget approval”, he indicated, expressing openness to “adjusting the proposals” and to “discussing and framing them”.

André Ventura maintained that “the country feels the pressure of migration in its various dimensions, in housing, health, security and crime, but also in diversity and cultural pressure”.

"Portugal must welcome those who seek it, protect them and integrate them into its economy and its economic growth. This does not mean, however, that Portugal can be left at the mercy of completely open doors, without any control and with a drama that increases and intensifies every day in many of our regions", he added.

Taboo

Considering that "immigration should not be taboo or an object of political slander", the Chega leader argued that the referendum represents an opportunity for a "very lively debate on the subject".

According to the Constitution, "citizens registered to vote in the national territory may be called upon to express their views directly, in a binding manner, through a referendum, by decision of the President of the Republic, upon proposal by the Assembly of the Republic or the Government, on matters within their respective competences, in the cases and under the terms provided for in the Constitution and the law".

Stricter control of immigration is one of Chega's demands, which has called for a demonstration on 21 September "against uncontrolled immigration and insecurity in the streets".