On January 18, Isabel Moreira, a member of the Socialist Party, submitted a report to the Constitutional Affairs Committee for the admission of a petition to potentially ban Chega as a racist and fascist party. Moreira argues that Chega does not respect the essential values and principles of the Portuguese Constitution. The petition currently has 12,000 signatures. Moreira's actions are understood as an attempt to combat Chega's ideas and practices, which dangerously approach the violation of fundamental democratic values. However, it is questionable whether this is the most effective way for Moreira to achieve her goals. Chega is currently the second-largest party in parliament, with André Ventura receiving around 1.7 million votes in the presidential elections. This indicates that there are over 1.7 million Portuguese voters for Chega, encompassing a diverse range of opinions. While some may support Salazarism, others reject it, and there are moderates and disillusioned former socialists and communists within Chega's base. Chega's rise is not solely ideological; many voters are disenchanted with the current system that fails to improve their lives. Moreira's petition will soon be discussed in Parliament, bringing Chega back into the political spotlight. If approved, it will be sent to the Constitutional Court, which has never banned a parliamentary party. While Chega has its share of unsavoury characters, it also includes qualified individuals. Moreira knows Chega is a populist party, but its historical connection to Nazism or Italian fascism is tenuous. The most effective way to combat Chega is to modernise Portuguese society and improve living conditions for its citizens. Moreira has a platform to challenge Chega's ideas, and initiating a ban on a party with 1.7 million votes may be counterproductive.
Wanting to ban Chega is like putting out fire with gasoline
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.
