Seguro has gathered votes beyond those of the PS and is adding support from the right — from supporters of the AD and IL — which he hopes will translate into votes. Ventura is beginning to gain ground where the AD used to dominate, in the north of the country. Editorial by Marta Moitinho Oliveira
The targets of Seguro and Ventura

Context & Explainers
Health cards are private membership or discount schemes sold by companies that offer access to consultations, tests or reduced fees at private clinics; they are not the public health service. The Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) has proposed regulation to increase transparency and protect consumers from misleading marketing or unexpected charges.

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.

Socialist Party (PS)
- Leader: José Luís Carneiro (since June 2025)
- Ideology: Center-left, Social democracy, pro-Europeanism
Portugal's other traditional major party suffered a historic collapse in the 2025 election, dropping from 78 to 58 seats and falling to third place for the first time in democratic history. The party was led by Pedro Nuno Santos from January 2024 until his resignation following the May 2025 defeat. José Luís Carneiro, a 53-year-old former Minister of Internal Administration known for his moderate positioning within the party, was elected unopposed as the new Secretary-General with 95% of votes in June 2025. The Socialist Party governed Portugal from 2015 to 2024, including an absolute majority from 2022 to 2024 under António Costa, who resigned in November 2023 amid a corruption investigation. The PS previously led the innovative "Geringonça" (contraption) coalition government from 2015-2019, a minority government supported by the Left Bloc and Portuguese Communist Party that reversed austerity measures and presided over economic recovery.
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Other news coverage of this topic
- The frontist gambit12:31am, 21 Jan 2026 • Correio da Manhã
- PCP urges vote for Seguro to prevent André Ventura being elected10:16pm, 20 Jan 2026 • RTP Notícias
- PCP urges vote for Seguro to prevent André Ventura's election: 'Without harbouring any illusions'7:34pm, 20 Jan 2026 • Expresso
- It looks like André Ventura is a bit jealous7:25pm, 20 Jan 2026 • CNN Portugal
- PCP urges vote for Seguro to block Ventura7:24pm, 20 Jan 2026 • Observador






