Chega leader André Ventura renewed his challenge to the PSD and its leader Luís Montenegro to declare whether they would back him or the Socialist candidate António José Seguro in a hypothetical presidential runoff. Ventura vowed that if he failed to reach the second round he would do “everything” to stop a Socialist from becoming President, framing the contest as a choice over what idea of the Republic should be represented in Belém and warning against a President who would, in his view, threaten the economy and individual freedoms. The statement increases pressure on the centre‑right to clarify alliances and highlights how the presidential race is being used to test party loyalties and shape broader political narratives ahead of national contests.
André Ventura says he will do everything to prevent a socialist becoming President of the Republic
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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.
