Ventura demands explanations from the Public Prosecutor's Office and defends the mayor of Albufeira: “This is not acceptable in a democracy”

Wednesday, 25 March 2026RSS
Ventura demands explanations from the Public Prosecutor's Office and defends the mayor of Albufeira: “This is not acceptable in a democracy”

The president of Chega, who won the municipality in the last elections, argued that Rui Cristina merely expressed an opinion, which was scrutinised by voters, regarding the statements currently being investigated for suspected incitement to hatred.

Context & Explainers

André Ventura

André Ventura, born January 15, 1983, is a lawyer, academic, and Portugal's most prominent far-right leader. He founded Chega ("Enough") in 2019 after his PSD mayoral campaign attacked the Romani community. Chega surged from 1.3% in 2019 to 22.8% in May 2025, becoming parliament's second-largest party and making Ventura Leader of the Opposition.

His platform emphasizes immigration restrictions, law-and-order policies, constitutional reform, and contains inflammatory anti-Romani rhetoric that has triggered multiple discrimination convictions and investigations. Politically classified as far-right by international media, Ventura cultivates alliances with European far-right figures including Marine Le Pen and Santiago Abascal.

Chega

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.

Rui Cristina is a political figure associated with the Chega party whose recent public statements are under investigation for suspected incitement to hatred. He joined the party in early 2024 after previously serving with the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata). Those following political news should note that his case involves the legal boundaries of political speech in Portugal.

AI Summary AvailableAlbufeira Mayor targeted in investigation into incitement to hatredRead the synthesized summary with context and explainers
View full article on expresso.pt

RSS source