André Ventura, leader of the Chega party, has formally requested information from the government regarding potential conflicts of interest involving officials and the electricity grid operator, REN. Ventura is seeking to determine if any government members hold shares in the company and if such interests were properly declared during recent decision-making processes.
Chega questions government links to energy grid operator
Saturday, 12 September 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.
4 sources
- Ventura questions whether Government members have stakes in RENexpresso.pt ·
- Purchase of 'shares above market price' leads Ventura to question if Government members hold stakes in RENcnnportugal.iol.pt ·
- Chega questions whether Government members hold stakes in REN and accuses PS of lying about VATpublico.pt ·
- Chega asks if there are Government members with shares in RENobservador.pt ·
