Seguro says the situation in healthcare is "unacceptable"; Ventura accuses opponent of being a "kind of Queen of England"

Tuesday, 27 January 2026RSS
Seguro says the situation in healthcare is "unacceptable"; Ventura accuses opponent of being a "kind of Queen of England"

António José Seguro and André Ventura faced off in the only televised head‑to‑head before the 8 February presidential run‑off in a 75‑minute debate broadcast on SIC, TVI and RTP (live coverage by Expresso). Seguro sought to present himself as “presidential material”, condemning the state of healthcare as “unacceptable”, while Ventura adopted a party‑leader posture, attacked Seguro as a “kind of Queen of England” and tried to tie him to the PS legacy. Despite their contrasting styles, both candidates united in rejecting the Government’s labour law, highlighting policy faultlines and the choice voters face for a more demanding presidency.

Context & Explainers

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.

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