Chega presented in Parliament the first censure motion against the XXV Constitutional Government, the 37th in Portuguese democracy. The motion, titled "For the end of a Government without political authority, incapable of assuming responsibilities and guaranteeing trust in institutions", centres on the maintenance of Luís Neves as Minister of Internal Administration, amid the controversies surrounding the official. The party leader, André Ventura, accused Prime Minister Luís Montenegro of lacking an ethical standard.
The Socialist Party decided to abstain from the vote, after a meeting of the National Secretariat and the Political Commission, led by José Luís Carneiro. In a statement, the PS justified the option with the intention of not causing a political crisis, stating that abstention "avoids" that crisis but "does not absolve the Government of its responsibilities". The party also considered that the motion is a manoeuvre by Chega to divert attention and help the executive "hide" from its policies.
On the PSD side, parliamentary leader Hugo Soares rejected the accusations and classified the motion as "completely detached from reality" and "a sort of censure motion that tumbled in from Mars with the sole purpose of keeping deputy André Ventura in the media agenda". Isabel Mendes Lopes, co-spokesperson for Livre, also criticised the initiative, accusing Chega of resorting to "folklore" to "always be in the spotlight".
Although the vote is still ongoing, the expected result points to the rejection of the motion, as 116 votes in favour are required for approval. Of the 37 censure motions presented in Portuguese democracy, only one was approved, in April 1987, against Aníbal Cavaco Silva's executive. Chega indicated it will proceed with a parliamentary inquiry committee into the Luís Neves case, while the discussion of the State Budget for 2027 approaches, a process that should dominate the parliamentary agenda in the coming weeks.
