Chega: Free daycare for "resident Portuguese" families

The Chega candidate for the Lisbon City Council in the upcoming local elections has committed to building 4,500 affordable homes and free daycare centers for all “resident Portuguese” families , and also intends to create a popular fair in Parque Papa Francisco.

"Let's break with 50 years of paralysis. We deserve an opportunity to change Lisbon. We will defend Lisbon here and now, with courage, with justice, with a future," said candidate Bruno Mascarenhas of Chega, taking on the challenge of breaking with a government of "alternating slogans and favors between the PS and PSD."

The presentation of the candidacy for the Lisbon City Council in the local elections on October 12, which took place at the Carlos Lopes Pavilion, in the center of the capital, was attended by the president of Chega, André Ventura.

Chega candidate and current municipal deputy Bruno Mascarenhas began by saying that Lisbon “is surrendered to disorder, corruption, propaganda, politically correct lies, and incompetence disguised as moderation.”

"Those who walk the streets of Lisbon see what the offices of the establishment parties don't want to see: accumulated garbage, growing insecurity, entire neighborhoods in decline, homeless young people, discriminated against Portuguese people, and collapsing public services," he noted.

In addition to presenting Chega's proposals for Lisbon, Bruno Mascarenhas criticized the current mayor, Social Democrat Carlos Moedas, running for the PSD/CDS-PP/IL coalition, and Socialist Alexandre Leitão, running for the PS/Livre/BE/PAN coalition: "Moedas wants four more years to do what he hasn't done. Leitão wants to govern Lisbon as if it were a PS summer dream, Pedro Nuno Santos's cabinet with Mariana Mortágua and Rui Tavares as ministers."

Chega's commitment is to "give Lisbon back to the people of Lisbon" , as it considers that the capital "is not a field of multicultural experiences", but rather "the home of the Portuguese".

"We will build 4,500 affordable homes by the end of the term and transform them into a real opportunity for Portuguese families and young people who live, work, or study in Lisbon. We will transform 50% of municipal tenants into homeowners. We will end housing overcrowding, and those who illegally occupy public or private properties will be thrown out of the streets, without excuses, without favors, without exceptions," he explained.

Defending "zero tolerance" for illegal occupation, illegal immigration, and cronyism , the Chega candidate promised to reinforce the Municipal Police with 300 new officers and increase the powers of municipal arbitration courts "so that they can quickly decide on immigration, abusive leasing, and illegal occupations."

Bruno Mascarenhas also suggested a change in the city's waste management, the provision of free daycare and preschool for all "resident Portuguese" families, and the reduction to zero of the number of homeless people in the capital, through "firm policies."

"Let's create a sports center in Papa Francisco Park. Let's revive the fair there and revive the family memory factory," proposed the Chega candidate, whose second-place candidate is dentist Ana Simões Silva.

In the 2021 local elections, Chega ran for the first time in elections for municipal bodies, but in Lisbon it failed to win the councilor election, having managed to elect three deputies to the municipal assembly, including the current candidate Bruno Mascarenhas.

In the current term (2021-2025), the Lisbon executive includes seven elected members from the “Novos Tempos” coalition – PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM/Aliança, seven elected members from the “Mais Lisboa” coalition – PS/Livre, two from the CDU and one from the BE.

Running for mayor of Lisbon in the local elections on October 12 are Alexandra Leitão (PS/Livre/BE/PAN), Carlos Moedas (PSD/CDS-PP/IL), João Ferreira (CDU – PCP/PEV coalition), Ossanda Líber (New Right), Bruno Mascarenhas (Chega), José Almeida (Volt) and Adelaide Ferreira (ADN).