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Ventura says he is confident of reaching the second round and issues a challenge to Montenegro

Sunday, 11 January 2026RSS
Ventura says he is confident of reaching the second round and issues a challenge to Montenegro

André Ventura says he is confident he will advance to the second round of the presidential election and has publicly pressed Prime Minister Montenegro to declare which candidate he would back in a potential runoff against António José Seguro. The move is a calculated challenge designed to force political alignment, provoke a public response from the government and frame the contest as a binary choice that could consolidate Ventura’s support. It signals an early effort to shape campaign narratives, test opponents’ coalitions and put pressure on centrist figures to take clear positions ahead of the first-round vote.

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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.

He announced his 2026 presidential candidacy, polling at 18% alongside independent Admiral Gouveia e Melo. His rise ended Portugal's 50-year resistance to far-right parties.