The Social Democratic Party (PSD) presidential candidate for Porto’s City Hall and former Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Pedro Duarte, expressed being “shocked by the lack of empathy” and described the actions of Chega leader André Ventura as “unqualifiable.” This came after Ventura mentioned the names of some foreign minors attending a school in Lisbon during a parliamentary debate on changes to nationality and immigration laws last week.
“I am shocked by the lack of empathy and this inclination towards populism and demagogy, which probably makes these people forget all that constitutes values and principles, which I continue to believe they inherently uphold. However, this is utterly unacceptable, it is unqualifiable,” he remarked on CNN Portugal’s commentary space ‘Princípio da Incerteza’.
Pedro Duarte further emphasized that “there is no excuse that these names were not fully stated in Parliament,” explaining that “what matters is the manifest subjective impact on people and each individual’s personal context.”
The former minister noted that the issue at hand was “very serious,” deeming it neither “reasonable nor acceptable.”
“I would like to add another point for everyone’s reflection regarding Chega’s behavior, because I believe this ultimately proves a certain self-destructive temptation within Chega. We were discussing a matter – the nationality law and immigration law – which could have perhaps been seen as Chega’s first effective parliamentary victory, and they could have presented it that way. It could have shown a path moving in a positive direction,” he said.
He added, “The truth is that what happens is that they themselves end up destroying the debate of this nature.”
“Shameful, inhumane, and dangerous,” says Alexandra Leitão
Last Saturday, the Socialist Party (PS) candidate for Lisbon’s City Hall, Alexandra Leitão, also criticized André Ventura’s behavior following the incident during the parliamentary debate on nationality and immigration laws.
The socialist stated that the episode surpassed “what is acceptable in a democracy,” pointing out that “instrumentalizing minors to fuel hate speech is shameful, inhumane, and dangerous.”
Alexandra Leitão criticized Chega leader André Ventura for mentioning the names of minor students in Parliament and spoke of instrumentalization “to fuel hate speech.”
Notícias ao Minuto with Lusa | 11:43 – 06/07/2025
At the moment when André Ventura began citing the names of foreign children in the Assembly of the Republic, several deputies from the Left benches intervened and tried to interrupt the speech of Chega’s leader. However, the person in charge of conducting the session did not do so.
For example, the parliamentary leader of Livre became emotional and requested “humanism.”
On Sunday, Chega’s leader wrote on his X account (formerly Twitter) that “part of the country was disturbed by reading Islamic and Indian names in Portuguese schools” and attacked the Left: “Curious, I never saw them concerned with the use of children and young people in LGBT propaganda or in the leaflets of Bloco and PCP.”
Alexandra Leitão criticized Chega leader André Ventura for mentioning the names of minor students in Parliament and spoke of instrumentalization “to fuel hate speech.”
Notícias ao Minuto with Lusa | 11:43 – 06/07/2025
Recall that when the government initiatives to amend the nationality and immigration legislation were presented, they were referred to the detailed phase without being voted in general, as well as Chega’s bills on the same subjects.
The government’s proposed law to amend the nationality diploma, which will now be discussed in committee, seeks to increase the period of residency required in Portugal to obtain citizenship (from five to 7 or 10 years, depending on whether the individuals are Portuguese-speaking or not).
The government also contemplates the possibility of losing nationality for those naturalized for less than 10 years who are sentenced to a prison term of five years or more for committing serious crimes. Regarding the attribution of original nationality to descendants of foreigners residing in Portugal, a legal residence period of three years is required.
Chega’s bill, which also advanced to the detailed phase, proposes “the loss of nationality acquired by naturalization or when they have dual nationality, in cases where the individual commits acts that seriously infringe on sovereignty, national security, or the essential principles of the Rule of Law.”
In terms of the foreigners’ law, the government intends to restrict the job-seeking visa to “highly qualified activities,” limit access to family reunification and alter the conditions for granting residence permits to nationals of Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) member states.
Chega also presents a bill that “restricts regulations concerning entry and residence in national territory,” imposing entry quotas based on labor needs identified by authorities.
