The struggle between the right and the left that marked the 50th anniversary of the Portuguese Constitution is expected to continue during the Assembly of the Republic's commemoration this Saturday, marking 52 years since the April 25, 1974 revolution. With both sides of the chamber using the past to analyse the present and anticipate the future, the first parliamentary commemoration of the Carnation Revolution since António José Seguro took office as President of the Republic is set to be marked by intense ideological debate. Key speakers include Hugo Soares for the PSD, André Ventura for Chega, Mariana Leitão for the Liberal Initiative, and José Luís Carneiro for the PS, each bringing distinct perspectives on current labour reforms, the legacy of the revolution, and the political landscape.
Solemn session of April 25th promises a morning of ideological combat in São Bento
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.
