The leader of the Chega party, André Ventura, claims that the Minister of Labour, Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho, had initially agreed to lower the retirement age for shift workers. Ventura alleges that Prime Minister Luís Montenegro subsequently undermined the minister, leading to the rejection of the government's labour proposal. Business leaders have since called for the current reform package to be scrapped entirely in favor of a new, collaborative approach.
Labour reform negotiations collapse amid political accusations
Monday, 22 June 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.
6 sources
- Ventura says Montenegro blocked negotiations between the Minister of Labour and Chega regarding the lowering of the retirement agecmjornal.pt ·
- Ventura accuses Montenegro of undermining the Minister of Labour during labour package negotiationsexpresso.pt ·
- Ventura says Minister of Labour admitted to reviewing retirement age for shift workersdn.pt ·
- Ventura accuses Montenegro of 'undermining' the Minister of Labour during negotiations on the labour packagecnnportugal.iol.pt ·
- Montenegro "overruled Minister of Labour". Ventura says the minister admitted to reviewing the retirement age for shift workersrtp.pt ·
- Ventura's raised fistobservador.pt ·
