The leader of Chega says he does not want someone in Belém “who wants to destroy our economy or destroy our freedom”.
Ventura says he will do everything to prevent a "socialist" from being elected President

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.
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Other news coverage of this topic
- The Saviour of the Republic12:12am, 11 Jan 2026 • Observador
- Ventura says he will do everything to prevent a socialist becoming President8:29pm, 10 Jan 2026 • RTP Notícias
- André Ventura says he will do everything to prevent a socialist becoming President of the Republic7:26pm, 10 Jan 2026 • Correio da Manhã







