Chega president André Ventura criticized former Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho for speaking publicly about repealing Portugal's abortion (interrupção voluntária da gravidez) law, describing the intervention as ill-timed. Ventura argued that reopening social debates distracts the center-right from addressing pressing cost-of-living concerns and benefits the political left. The Chega leader also criticized Prime Minister Luís Montenegro for remaining silent during nationwide housing demonstrations.
André Ventura Criticizes Former Prime Minister Over Abortion Debate
Thursday, 22 October 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.
Pedro Passos Coelho is a former Prime Minister of Portugal (2011–2015) and former leader of the centre-right PSD (Partido Social Democrata). His government steered Portugal through the 2011–2014 international bailout and its austerity programme. He remains an influential voice on the right, and his comments on alliances and leadership are closely watched by PSD 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.
5 sources
- Ventura considers debate on abortion untimely and criticises Passos Coelhocmjornal.pt ·
- Ventura considers abortion debate ill-timed and criticises Passos Coelhodn.pt ·
- Ventura criticises Montenegro's silence on housing and considers it could be a "spark"publico.pt ·
- Ventura criticises Passos Coelho for debating abortionobservador.pt ·
- Ventura criticises Passos and considers the debate on abortion to be ill-timedcnnportugal.iol.pt ·
