The leader of the Chega party mistakenly referred to Germany’s Bürgerfest as a “hamburger festival,” although it is actually a Citizen’s Festival held in Berlin, leading to widespread political and public ridicule.
On social media, reactions ranged from disbelief to sarcasm. Former Iniciativa Liberal leader Rui Rocha, who is running for Braga’s City Hall, humorously pointed out the mix-up, saying, “The hamburger festival crisis is not a topic for the Assembly of the Republic.”
“Imagine what André Ventura will do if the President visits Peru, the Cameroons… or the city of Pisa in Italy?” he remarked in a video shared on X (previously Twitter).
The hamburger festival crisis is not a topic for the Assembly of the Republic. It is an issue for ASAE. pic.twitter.com/xnIzhoydcT
— Rui Rocha (@ruirochaliberal) September 11, 2025
Prior to this, former Minister of Education João Costa had mocked the Chega leader on Facebook.
“Inform André Ventura that if the President goes to the Cameroons, it’s not for a seafood festival,” he posted.
Meanwhile, socialist Isabel Moreira commented that the incident “will go down in history as the champion of ridicule.”
This will go down in history as the champion of ridicule. https://t.co/WxkWjMKTip
— Isabel Moreira (@IsabelLMMoreira) September 11, 2025
Carlos Guimarães Pinto also commented on social media, noting that, “as an appreciator of humor,” he hopes the “President of the Republic does not end his term without visiting the Cameroons.”
As an appreciator of moments of humor, I hope the President of the Republic does not end his term without visiting the Cameroons https://t.co/JvoosQCxB5
— Carlos Guimarães Pinto (@cgpliberal) September 11, 2025
The reactions continued with the spreading news, leading to numerous jokes, memes, and messages of indignation over André Ventura’s blunder…
Burger fest pic.twitter.com/N8SOH6rN3e
— Duarte Marques (@DuarteMarques) September 11, 2025
Eating burgers with the forehead.
(Miguel Ângelo) pic.twitter.com/lu8lHaufA3
— antonio santos (@antoniosantos56) September 11, 2025
A Hamburger Festival or a Citizen’s Festival. André Ventura won the 2025 Bear Figure Award. pic.twitter.com/OJDlryuRyC
— Gonçalo Levy Cordeiro (@glevycordeiro) September 10, 2025
Ventura ordered an H3 and a G7 pic.twitter.com/S8Vow26Wvl
— Joao Quadros (@omalestafeito) September 11, 2025
If the President of the Republic went to Tomorrowland, André Ventura would be outraged at the government for spending public money on a time travel machine.
— Inês Rebelo (@inesrebelop) September 11, 2025
So, what was the confusion about?
The controversy began on Wednesday night when André Ventura posted a video on social media accusing Parliament of approving the President’s trip to Germany for a “hamburger festival.”
“Parliament approved the President’s trip to Germany for a hamburger festival. At the expense of our taxes. Is this normal? Don’t the Portuguese revolt?” read a message posted by the Chega president on X, which he later deleted.
In an Instagram video, where he appears holding a document, Ventura made the same accusation, referring to Bürgerfest as a “hamburger festival,” though it is a Citizen’s Festival held at the presidential gardens in Berlin.
Following suit, the video posted on Instagram by the Chega president was also removed. Ventura linked the President’s trip to Germany to an imagined festival, suggesting it was a burden on Portuguese taxpayers.
A statement issued Wednesday morning on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic, before the parliamentary vote later that day, announced that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa would meet the German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and provided context on the Bürgerfest initiative.
It described Bürgerfest as a “Citizen’s Festival” held annually in the gardens of the official residence of the Federal President to honor voluntary work and civic engagement.
The Chega leader accused the head of state of traveling to Germany for a hamburger festival, referring to the Bürgerfest initiative, which is actually a Citizen’s Festival in Berlin.
Lusa | 06:53 – 11/09/2025
Meanwhile, this afternoon, at an event at the Agroglobal fair in Santarém, André Ventura acknowledged the “mistake” but remained opposed to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s trip to Germany, even if it was at the invitation of the German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
“This mistake is because the President of the Republic has done what none have, which is to multiply his travels at taxpayers’ expense, paid for by our salaries,” he argued.
“This President of the Republic has made over 1,550 trips at the expense of taxpayers. He has traveled five more times than previous presidents, including Cavaco Silva. It’s a theft of our taxes,” he charged. “But the journalists are concerned with whether it’s about hamburgers or citizenship.”
Chega leader refuses to apologize to the President of the Republic for confusing Germany’s Bürgerfest with a “hamburger festival” and maintains his opposition to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s trip to that country, even if at the invitation of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Tomásia Sousa | 15:58 – 11/09/2025
