In their victory speeches, António José Seguro and André Ventura have already begun to launch their campaigns for the run-off. Seguro argues that the decision will be between moderation and hatred; Ventura says that the Portuguese people's choice will be between change and the candidate of the system and of corrupt socialism.
The winners: Seguro and Ventura, between moderation and change
Monday, 19 January 2026RSS
AI Summary AvailablePresidential election: the rhetoric of moderation won out over the rhetoric of polarisationRead the synthesized summary with context and explainers
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Other news coverage of this topic
- All about a historic election night8:28am, 19 Jan 2026 • Observador
- Seguro and Ventura advance to the presidential second round: the aftermath of the elections8:00am, 19 Jan 2026 • Público
- From Seguro's "we are all democrats" to Ventura's "socialism corrupts" — the notable remarks from election night6:37am, 19 Jan 2026 • ECO
- Seguro's celebration — the man who returned to 'bring all Portuguese together'6:36am, 19 Jan 2026 • ECO
- Seguro or Ventura: a choice between the left and the right, or between democracy and extremism?3:18am, 19 Jan 2026 • Público
- Presidential election night in 13 images2:43am, 19 Jan 2026 • Público
- Images from the first-round election night2:02am, 19 Jan 2026 • Observador
- Presidential election: the rhetoric of moderation won out over the rhetoric of polarisation1:53am, 19 Jan 2026 • Público
Context & Explainers
Chega ("Enough") is a Portuguese far-right populist party founded in 2019 by André Ventura. It positions itself as an anti-establishment movement against what it calls a "rotten and corrupt system" of PS-PSD dominance. The party surged from 1.3% in 2019 to 22.8% in May 2025, becoming parliament's second-largest force with 60 seats. Chega's core platform emphasizes strict immigration control—ending automatic CPLP residency, deporting non-independent immigrants, implementing job-market quotas, and requiring five-year social security contributions before benefit access. It advocates radical constitutional reform, including reducing parliament to 100 members, abolishing the prime minister position for a presidential system, and dismantling public healthcare. Law-and-order policies include life imprisonment and chemical castration proposals.
The party is defined by inflammatory anti-Romani rhetoric, with Ventura convicted multiple times for discrimination. Chega maintains international alignments with European far-right figures including Marine Le Pen, Santiago Abascal, and Matteo Salvini. Mainstream Portuguese parties, including Prime Minister Luís Montenegro's government, have imposed a cordon sanitaire, refusing coalition with Chega despite its parliamentary strength.
