The article reports that André Ventura, leader of the Portuguese political party Chega, criticized recent criticisms and attacks from associations and universities regarding the party’s presence at the Futurália event. Ventura described these reactions as a lack of democratic sense and accused them of attempting censorship. He specifically mentioned institutions like the Institute of Social Sciences at the University of Lisbon and the Faculty of Social Sciences at Nova University of Lisbon, condemning their calls for the organization to censor or exclude Chega’s representation. Ventura views these actions as an infringement on democratic principles and free political expression in Portugal.
Chega lamenta "ataques" por presença na Futurália e fala em tentativa de censura
Sunday, 15 March 2026RSS
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.
