The president of Chega, André Ventura, asserted on Thursday that “in the last 50 years, no country in Europe has extinguished the leader of the opposition,” following a complaint filed by lawyer António Garcia Pereira urging the Public Prosecutor’s Office to take legal actions to dissolve the party.
“In the last 50 years, no country in Europe has extinguished the leader of the opposition. This is not how we view democracy, this is not how we view freedom. This is not how we view the clash of ideas in a plural democracy,” stated André Ventura to journalists at the Assembly of the Republic.
“Those who have spent today, yesterday, or last week filing complaints of racism because it was said that gypsies need to obey the law or that this is not Bangladesh and think that the best way to combat this is to threaten with criminal proceedings, to demand the dissolution of political parties or to silence the opposition, clearly shows how we have a political bias in Portugal,” he added.
André Ventura further emphasized “very clearly” that the party was “always available to respond wherever necessary,” consistently “upholding ideas and defending the people.”
“We are defending common people who are never safeguarded in favor of minorities who always feel super protected and always have a right to everything,” he declared.
The president of Chega argued that “democracy cannot be at risk” and lamented that “there are a set of people who believe they win in democracy by silencing others.”
He also argued that “in a modern democracy, there is a clash of ideas,” and those who “disagree” with the party’s ideas should “win at the polls” and “convince the people,” not “with imprisonments, silencing, or cancellations.”
He added: “We believe that institutions in Portugal must defend themselves against this kind of requests and this type of people who think they should illegalize those they disagree with.”
André Ventura stressed that “he always disagreed with the PCP and the Socialist Party and in many things with the PSD,” but “never wanted to illegalize” these parties.
“I’ve never wanted to illegalize an opponent; I wanted to debate with them—as we did in the debates. I don’t want to silence or imprison them, nor dissolve their parties. When we do this, it’s a sign that we are failing to convince people, and I think the Portuguese people will not be fooled by this. And I think the Portuguese people also know well whose side they want to be on. That’s why Chega received, in the last legislative elections, almost 24% of the votes,” he asserted.
Lawyer Garcia Pereira calls on the Attorney General for the extinction of Chega citing constitutional violations
Lawyer António Garcia Pereira filed a complaint on Thursday addressed to the Attorney General of the Republic requesting the Public Prosecutor’s Office to initiate legal mechanisms for Chega’s dissolution, arguing that the party violates the Constitution.
In the complaint, it was requested that Amadeu Guerra proceed with the appropriate procedure for Chega’s extinction.
He also requested the initiation of a criminal inquiry against the party president, André Ventura, and other leaders for incitement to hatred, along with the adoption of judicial and administrative measures for the urgent removal of posters with messages “inciting hatred and violence against citizen groups.”
The lawyer highlights in his argument that the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic does not allow “racist organizations or those embracing fascist ideology,” enumerating episodes of conduct by Chega members that represent “the raising to an even higher level of a systematic behavior violating those essential democratic principles.”
Lawyer António Garcia Pereira filed a complaint with the Attorney General, Amadeu Guerra, against Chega, requesting the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) to initiate the “procedure to request the extinction” of the party led by André Ventura.
Daniela Filipe | 15:47 – 30/10/2025
SOS Racismo files criminal complaint against André Ventura for discrimination and incitement to hatred
The SOS Racismo movement also filed a criminal complaint against André Ventura and other Chega deputies for discrimination and incitement to hatred and violence, following the installation of posters with references to Bangladesh and gypsies.
The case concerns posters from the presidential candidate supported by Chega, André Ventura, containing messages targeting Bangladesh and gypsy communities, reading “This is not Bangladesh” and “Gypsies must obey the law.”
“What motivates an association that combats racism is protecting the victims of far-right violence, using all available means within their reach,” emphasizes SOS Racismo in a statement, claiming that “the racist and xenophobic posters and messages of Chega affect and injure thousands of people.”
In recent days, multiple gypsy associations filed complaints with the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) against André Ventura’s posters, in addition to three complaints equally forwarded to the MP by the Commission for Equality and Against Racial Discrimination (CICDR).
The National Elections Commission also referred received complaints to the MP, considering that the content of political propaganda is subject to certain limits.
