André Ventura Urges Chega to Prove Readiness to Govern
Chega leader André Ventura called on party officials to use their national convention in November to prove that the party is ready to govern. Speaking at a meeting of the party's National Council (Conselho Nacional), Ventura urged internal unity and criticized the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) for enabling the government's budget. Ventura also claimed that the country has remained unchanged over the past seven years.
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.
