“I believe this should be a cross-party consensus. This shouldn’t be about parties, it should be about civics. Therefore, I wanted to challenge other leaders to come here too (…),” stated André Ventura, who joined a group of volunteer firefighters this morning gathered in front of the Assembly of the Republic, where they will remain in vigil until Monday, in a bid for improved working conditions.
When asked if support for firefighters would be a demand from Chega regarding the discussion of the State Budget proposal for 2026, or if it should be discussed outside this scope, Ventura responded that “the issue is that the topic was always left out of the Budget.”
However, when questioned if this would be a red line in potential budget negotiations, Ventura replied: “It’s not a matter of being a red line.”
“I think if there is a minimum of common sense among politicians, this will be resolved this year. Now, there must be that common sense and there must be that will. I am convinced there will be,” he said.
To the question “and if there isn’t?” Ventura simply answered: “If not, we will have to fight, and we will stand with the firefighters.”
The party has scheduled a parliamentary debate for the 25th on fighting fires and firefighters’ working conditions, demanding, among other things, an increase in the volunteer firefighters’ compensation to five euros per hour.
“We have firefighters earning a little over three euros per hour. This is an absolutely humiliating rate in the European context, and this must already be enshrined in the State Budget as a fundamental change,” he insisted.
From Ventura’s perspective, this “is a fundamental issue” that “must already be in the Budget,” or else firefighters will feel forgotten.
Chega will also propose that firefighters have “a formal, defined career” with the right to a risk supplement and consider it important for these professionals to have “their organization and command and not be dependent on people sitting in Civil Protection who have no idea how to fight a fire.”
The Chega leader spoke to journalists with some of the protesters behind him, who at certain moments applauded his speech.
One such moment was when Ventura refused to respond to comments from PS president Carlos César, who warned today in Coimbra that Chega seems good in opposition, “but will not be” in a Government and compared him to a “Swiss army knife” bought from “a low-cost store of trinkets.”
“Being in a concentration of firefighters, fighting for their career, fighting for their dignity, it does not seem appropriate to respond to provocative statements like those of the PS president. There will certainly be time for that, and there are political moments for it. I will instead challenge Dr. Carlos César: instead of worrying about politics and attacks on André Ventura and Chega, come here,” he responded.
Among the protesters was firefighter Joaquim Miguel, who appealed to Ventura to ensure these professionals’ demands are included in the State Budget proposal for 2026.
“This must be contemplated in the State Budget. Don’t let another year pass with firefighters hoping this will happen and then, another year, it doesn’t happen. The parties all tell us we are right, but we don’t want that, we want action,” he appealed.
The Chega president refused to discuss presidential elections and a potential candidacy of his own, despite having expressed willingness to run for President again during the National Council of the party on Friday night, while not considering this the ideal solution.
Ventura also indicated that the objective is to support a candidate who might contest a potential second round.
[News updated at 14:58]
