Minister of Defence Nuno Melo has announced legal action against Chega president André Ventura and MP Pedro Frazão following their public criticism of a 3.9 billion euro deal to purchase three frigates from Italy. Melo stated the contract is not yet closed and refused to confirm if helicopters are included in the acquisition. Chega has requested that the minister appear in Parliament to explain the details of the procurement.
Defense Minister Nuno Melo faces scrutiny over frigate deal
Tuesday, 11 August 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
Nuno Melo is the president of CDS-PP (Centro Democrático e Social – Partido Popular), a Christian democratic party in Portugal. In the story he linked Chega's position to socialism, compared André Ventura to Donald Trump, and urged party members to vote 'in conscience' in the presidential runoff on the 8th, a stance that could affect centre‑right voters.
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.
4 sources
- There are elements here to welcome, the first is realizing that Nuno Melo is a minister and continues to govern, we haven't heard from himcnnportugal.iol.pt ·
- Nuno Melo wants “everything to be seen and asked” regarding the frigate dealexpresso.pt ·
- Contract for the purchase of frigates 'is not closed', says Nuno Meloeco.sapo.pt ·
- Chega to summon Nuno Melo to Parliament to explain frigate dealcmjornal.pt ·
