Miguel Castro leaves Chega to become independent deputy in Madeira

Miguel Castro, the former president of the Chega party in Madeira, has left the party to serve as an independent deputy in the regional parliament. Castro stated that the new regional leadership, headed by Hugo Nunes, withdrew his political confidence and sidelined him from leadership roles within the parliamentary group.

Castro reported that he faced increasing barriers to communication and was stripped of committee assignments, feeling his role had been reduced to merely providing financial subsidies to the group. He noted that he attempted to meet with party leader André Ventura to discuss the situation, but the meeting did not occur. Following a lack of direct contact from Ventura, Castro decided to transition to an independent status before the start of the new legislative session.

With Castro’s departure, and following the previous exit of deputy Magna Costa in early 2025, Chega is left with only two deputies in the Madeira Legislative Assembly: Hugo Nunes and Celestino Sebastião.