Chega leader secures historic first-round result, setting up February showdown as populist momentum reshapes Portuguese politics.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Portugal’s presidential race entered uncharted territory Sunday as André Ventura, leader of the anti-mass migration Chega party, advanced to the second round of voting, marking a significant shift in the country’s political landscape.
Less than seven years after founding Chega, Ventura captured more than 1.3 million votes in the first round, positioning himself as a central figure in a contest long dominated by establishment parties. According to official tallies published by the Portuguese daily Correio da Manhã, Ventura secured 23.5 percent of the vote—nearly double his 11.9 percent showing in the 2021 presidential election and an increase of more than 800,000 votes.
Following the results, Ventura declared himself “the new leader of the right in Portugal” after decisively outperforming center-right Social Democratic candidate Luís Marques Mendes. Mendes finished with 11.3 percent, or 637,391 votes, placing fifth and eliminating him from the race.
The election now moves to a runoff scheduled for Feb. 8, when Ventura will face Socialist Party candidate António José Seguro. Seguro led the first round with 1.7 million votes, accounting for 31.1 percent of ballots cast.
Ventura’s advance builds on gains made last year when Chega emerged as the second-largest party in Portugal’s parliament, fueled largely by voter backlash against mass migration and political elites.
Throughout the campaign, Ventura embraced a confrontational style, relying on provocative messaging and rhetoric highlighted in Portuguese media profiles. Immigration formed the core of his platform, detailed in Chega’s official program, which calls for sweeping changes to Portugal’s liberal immigration framework.
Ventura has pledged to deport all illegal migrants and proposed removing legal migrants who fail to demonstrate self-sufficiency within one year of arrival. His party also supports restricting access to state benefits until migrants have contributed to public finances for at least five years.
To curb future inflows, Chega advocates an annual quota system prioritizing migrants with skills aligned to Portugal’s labor market. The party has also committed to publishing detailed annual immigration reports, including data on employment, public assistance, crime statistics and fiscal contributions, arguing that greater transparency is needed to assess the real impact of immigration.
Ventura’s strong showing drew praise from populist leaders across Europe. In Spain, VOX leader Santiago Abascal hailed the result as a “historic” opportunity to defeat what he described as a uniparty system responsible for “poverty and insecurity.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán also offered public congratulations, saying the vote sent “a clear message” that patriotic movements are gaining strength across Europe.
As Portugal heads toward a decisive second round, Ventura’s rise underscores growing voter dissatisfaction with traditional parties and signals that immigration and national identity are likely to dominate the final weeks of the campaign.
Original article
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