The article discusses Ventura's proposal to adopt an “Italianization of the right” as a strategy for Portugal to advance with necessary reforms. It highlights Ventura's perspective that aligning more closely with Italy's political approach could facilitate progress on economic and structural reforms in Portugal. The piece explores the implications of this stance within the Portuguese political landscape, emphasizing the potential impact on reform agendas and the broader political discourse.
Ventura defende "italianização da direita" para o país avançar com reformas - Política - Jornal de Negócios
Monday, 9 March 2026RSS
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.
