Chega takes lead in voting intentions
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A new political barometer suggests a shift in the electorate as the Chega party moves to the front of the pack. Its leader, André Ventura, is seeing a corresponding rise in confidence from voters who now view him as a viable candidate for Prime Minister.
The government is attempting to project calm over its 2027 budget, which offers a 2.3% raise for public employees and tax bracket adjustments that favor higher earners. Finance Minister Miranda Sarmento has asked the Socialist Party not to distort the proposal; the Socialists have responded by maintaining a tactical silence on whether they will let the budget pass at all.
Away from the fiscal stand-off, the two main parties have found rare common ground to extend paid parental leave to a period of 100 to 150 days. The health sector is less settled, as doctors remain divided over a reform package that would merge services and create a new public health agency.