André Ventura confirmed on Sunday, March 15, that internal procedures are underway regarding the case of Mafalda Livermore, partner of Chega councillor Bruno Mascarenhas, who is accused of illegally renting substandard properties to immigrants. While party deputy Rita Matias suggested Mascarenhas should resign, Ventura stated the party is investigating the matter and noted that Livermore was appointed by Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas. Ventura also addressed recent controversies involving his party and criticized former Bank of Portugal governor Mário Centeno over his early retirement agreement.
Ventura guarantees internal decision within Chega regarding Bruno Mascarenhas
Sunday, 15 March 2026RSS
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.
