Portugal's Chega party submits resolution on court paralysis in Portalegre

The parliamentary group of the Chega party has submitted a resolution proposal to the Assembly of the Republic recommending that the government take urgent action to ensure the efficient functioning of the courts in the Portalegre district. The document, which was submitted to parliament on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, points to critical staffing shortages and the poor state of technical and building infrastructure in local facilities. The party argues that the current situation prevents the efficient functioning of the justice system and violates citizens' right to a speedy resolution of cases. The resolution proposal places particular emphasis on the need to ensure effective and territorially balanced legal protection in this region. According to the initiative's authors, the state must react immediately to the deteriorating working conditions of officials and judges to prevent paralysis of the institution.

In the justification of the proposal, the Chega party lists a series of shortcomings concerning human resources, including numerous unfilled positions for court officials and situations where employees are forced to combine multiple functions simultaneously. These shortages directly translate into delays in processing cases and a lowering of service standards for clients in the Portalegre district. In addition to staffing problems, the document draws attention to technical deficiencies and the poor technical condition of buildings occupied by courts and services subordinate to the Public Prosecutor's Office. Chega demands that the government present a specific, scheduled plan for the rehabilitation and normalization of premises throughout the district. Portalegre is a city and district in eastern Portugal, serving as an important administrative center near the border with Spain. The Chega party, founded in 2019, is a national-conservative and populist party whose program places great emphasis on justice system reform and public safety. The Portuguese judicial system has been struggling for years with problems of protracted proceedings, which has become a frequent topic of debate in the Assembly of the Republic.

The parliamentary initiative aims to force the executive branch to make real investments in a region that, according to the applicants, is overlooked in central modernization plans. The authors of the proposal emphasize that access to justice is a cornerstone of the rule of law and cannot be limited by shortcomings in technical equipment. „O Governo deve também definir um plano calendarizado para a reabilitação e normalização das instalações judiciais na comarca” (The Government must also define a scheduled plan for the rehabilitation and normalization of judicial facilities in the district) — Chega parliamentary group via SAPO The document also calls for the immediate launch of recruitment procedures to fill gaps in the support staff of courts and prosecutors' offices. Actions regarding the Portalegre district: March 11, 2026 — Submission of the proposal; March 12, 2026 — Public debate