António José Seguro is already effectively President, but he must do everything to secure a decisive victory. A country in which André Ventura wins a substantial share of the vote in a presidential run-off would not be the same as the one we have today.
Seguro now has one task: halt Ventura's rise
Sunday, 18 January 2026RSS
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Other news coverage of this topic
- Ventura proclaims himself 'leader of the right' and appeals to non-socialist voters to win the second round1:29am, 19 Jan 2026 • Público
- Second round set. Seguro wants to be president of a new era and Ventura declares himself leader of the right12:41am, 19 Jan 2026 • RTP Notícias
- Seguro and Ventura advance to the second round in the most hotly contested presidential election in recent decades1:12am, 19 Jan 2026 • Dinheiro Vivo
- By asserting himself as the leader of the right and calling on the right to join him, Ventura puts Montenegro in a difficult position11:42pm, 18 Jan 2026 • CNN Portugal
- António José Seguro: “Houve um momento em que acordei de manhã e disse ‘Tens de ser candidato’. E ficou decidido”1:00am, 19 Jan 2026 • Expresso
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.
