André Ventura returned to the campaign trail in Sacavém after advancing to the second round, challenging António José Seguro to more debates and accusing him of preparing to avoid direct confrontations. Ventura said he was astonished that several right‑wing and establishment figures were endorsing Seguro — whom he claims is ‘running into the arms of the Socialist Party’ — but stressed that such endorsements do not matter to him and that only popular support counts.
Ventura challenges Seguro to more debates and says he is 'astonished' by support for the Socialist
Tuesday, 20 January 2026RSS
AI Summary AvailableSeguro and Ventura advance to Presidential run offRead the synthesized summary with context and explainers
View full article on ExpressoRSS source
Other news coverage of this topic
- It looks like André Ventura is a bit jealous7:25pm, 20 Jan 2026 • CNN Portugal
- Ensuring the country's stability cannot at the same time mean not being demanding, says André Ventura7:13pm, 20 Jan 2026 • Correio da Manhã
- Ventura accuses Seguro of 'running away'7:07pm, 20 Jan 2026 • Observador
- Ventura astonished by endorsements from prominent right‑wing figures for Seguro6:44pm, 20 Jan 2026 • Correio da Manhã
- Ventura accuses Seguro of avoiding confrontation and challenges him to three debates6:23pm, 20 Jan 2026 • Correio da Manhã
- Ventura 'astonished' by endorsements from prominent right-wing figures for Seguro6:10pm, 20 Jan 2026 • ECO
- António Lobo Xavier will support António José Seguro and is considering taking part in the campaign5:33pm, 20 Jan 2026 • Dinheiro Vivo
- Presidential election: several musicians mobilise around António José Seguro5:27pm, 20 Jan 2026 • Expresso
- Ventura challenges Seguro to debates: "This is not for the faint-hearted — it's about fighting for the country seriously"4:53pm, 20 Jan 2026 • CNN Portugal
- Ventura accuses Seguro of evading debates and challenges him to three face-offs4:46pm, 20 Jan 2026 • Público
- Ventura demands three debates with Seguro, saying "this is not for the faint-hearted"4:36pm, 20 Jan 2026 • Diário de Notícias
- I couldn't care less about the establishment figures — Ventura downplays endorsements for Seguro4:33pm, 20 Jan 2026 • RTP Notícias
- Centre-right figures line up behind Seguro4:15pm, 20 Jan 2026 • Portugal Resident
- "All that's missing is Sócrates turning up to back Seguro": André Ventura accuses his rival in the presidential race of being 'afraid' to debate4:03pm, 20 Jan 2026 • Correio da Manhã
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.
