André Ventura (who has moderated his stance), Gouveia e Melo (who has become radicalised) and Alexandra Leitão (who only wants to take on Donald Trump) are the Good, the Bad and the Villain.
Does Ventura always lose in the run-off? I wouldn't be so sure
Monday, 12 January 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
André Ventura, born January 15, 1983, is a lawyer, academic, and Portugal's most prominent far-right leader. He founded Chega ("Enough") in 2019 after his PSD mayoral campaign attacked the Romani community. Chega surged from 1.3% in 2019 to 22.8% in May 2025, becoming parliament's second-largest party and making Ventura Leader of the Opposition.
His platform emphasizes immigration restrictions, law-and-order policies, constitutional reform, and contains inflammatory anti-Romani rhetoric that has triggered multiple discrimination convictions and investigations. Politically classified as far-right by international media, Ventura cultivates alliances with European far-right figures including Marine Le Pen and Santiago Abascal.
