Chega threatens to block 2027 State Budget over retirement age

The Chega party has threatened to reject the 2027 State Budget (OE2027) unless the government agrees to lower the retirement age. The party's proposal seeks to allow citizens to retire at 65 years old or after 40 years of social security contributions.

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has already rejected this demand, labeling it “inacceptable” due to concerns regarding the long-term sustainability of the Social Security system. In response, André Ventura, leader of Chega, accused the government of using a recent Social Security sustainability study as a political tool to block the proposal.

This tension follows previous disagreements during labor reform debates, where Chega also conditioned its support on retirement age adjustments. The party maintains that it will include the measure in its own 2027 budget proposal and will not retreat from its position.