Education fair hosts Chega stand with anti-immigration posters linked to the 'Great Replacement' theory

Thursday, 12 March 2026RSS
Education fair hosts Chega stand with anti-immigration posters linked to the 'Great Replacement' theory

Chega used its stand at Futurália to promote anti-immigration messages associated with the 'Great Replacement' theory. Amidst curiosity, support, and criticism, the presence of André Ventura attracted young people.

Context & Explainers

The Immigration Law is Portugal’s legal framework that governs entry, residency, asylum and deportation of non-nationals. It was amended by Law No. 61/2025 on October 22, 2025, after parts of an earlier draft were rejected by the Constitutional Court; the changes reorganise administrative responsibilities and introduce stricter control measures that affect visas, residency and family reunification processes.

Chega

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.

View full article on Público

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