The author criticises André Ventura for his recent speech marking the 50th anniversary of the Portuguese Constitution, accusing him of selectively highlighting left-wing terrorism while ignoring right-wing crimes. The text argues that Ventura's push for constitutional revision, including the potential reintroduction of life imprisonment, represents a regressive shift towards 19th-century politics. Furthermore, the author warns that a right-wing parliamentary majority could use constitutional reform to weaken labour rights, social security, public healthcare, and the right to strike, ultimately undermining the social protections established since the 1974 revolution.
Does the right want to return to the 19th century?
Friday, 3 April 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
Segurança Social is Portugal's public social security system, responsible for administering pensions, unemployment benefits, sickness pay, parental leave, family allowances, and other social support payments. It is funded through mandatory contributions from employers and employees.
Most services are managed online through Segurança Social Direta (SSD), where users can check contribution records, apply for benefits, submit declarations, and track payments using their NISS (Social Security Identification Number) and Citizen Card credentials.
Key interactions for residents include registering as a contributor (mandatory for all workers), claiming unemployment benefits, applying for parental leave, and accessing the minimum income scheme (Rendimento Social de Inserção). Self-employed workers (trabalhadores independentes) must also make quarterly income declarations through the platform.
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.
AI Summary AvailablePolitical parties "are afraid and lack the courage to accept the need for a constitutional…Read the synthesized summary with context and explainers
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Other news coverage of this topic
- Fear of reforms • Correio da Manhã
- President does not want constitutional revision announced by the right • Expresso
- The taboos of the depressed left • Expresso
- Chega 'will precipitate the discussion on constitutional revision to stress-test the system' and 'unleash chaos' • CNN Portugal
- "A general and ideological revision" of the Constitution is not justified • CNN Portugal
- Possible new Constitution "will not jeopardise the inalienable rights of the Portuguese" • CNN Portugal
- Poço: "PSD will not be cornered on constitutional revision" • Observador
- “It is an abusive interpretation to say there was a siege of the Assembly of the Republic” • Observador
- The idea that some on the left try to defend, that the Constitution is perfect and should remain as it is, is a mistake and makes no sense • CNN Portugal
- The idea that the Constitution is practically the same, as Ventura tries to sell, is completely false • CNN Portugal
- I do not believe the constitutional revision project will have the right-wing parties united to move forward • CNN Portugal
- PS: "To improve incomes and increase wages, we do not need to change the Constitution" • CNN Portugal
- Parliament has the responsibility and duty to examine the Constitution it has • CNN Portugal
- PSD argues that a constitutional review "is not a priority for the country" • CNN Portugal
- Political parties "are afraid and lack the courage to accept the need for a constitutional review", says Chega • CNN Portugal
