New polling shows André Ventura holding a lead (about 20.5%) while André Cotrim narrows the gap and Henrique Gouveia e Melo has slipped; the three‑day compiled sample was 608 interviews with a reported maximum margin of error of ±4.06%. Gouveia e Melo has faced criticism for self‑promotion and accused parties of trying to control the vote, while presidential candidate André Pestana urged reinvesting funds into the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS) to improve care and speed up ambulance availability. For expats: the race is fluid and healthcare proposals from candidates could influence future policy affecting services you rely on.
Ventura leads as candidates jostle and health issues feature
Friday, 9 January 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
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.
- 2026 Presidential Candidate
- Party: Independent
- Retired Portuguese Navy officer
- Former coordinator of Portugal's COVID-19 Vaccination Taskforce
- Centrist pragmatist
Henrique Eduardo Passaláqua de Gouveia e Melo (born November 21, 1960, in Quelimane, Mozambique) is a retired Portuguese Navy Admiral running for president in the January 18, 2026 election as an independent candidate. He entered the Naval School in 1979 and built a 45-year military career, commanding submarines NRP Delfim and NRP Barracuda, the frigate NRP Vasco da Gama, and serving as Naval Commander (2017-2020) and Chief of Naval Staff (2021-2024). His national prominence surged in 2021 when he was appointed coordinator of Portugal's COVID-19 vaccination task force, which achieved the world's highest vaccination rates, earning him a spot on Jornal de Negócios' list of 50 Most Powerful People. He announced his presidential campaign on May 29, 2025, backed by the People's Monarchist Party.
Political Philosophy:
Gouveia e Melo positions himself as a "centrist pragmatist" focused on institutional balance, effective governance, and consensus-building. He advocates for demanding presidential oversight of democratic institutions without institutional opposition to government, emphasizing "institutional loyalty" paired with rigorous accountability. His platform prioritizes growth, social cohesion, and equitable development, rejecting ideology for pragmatic results-oriented leadership
