The presidential candidate and leader of Chega, André Ventura, stated on Thursday that Luís Montenegro’s government should understand that today is not a good day for the government, noting that people have recognized that the rights of those who work and strive have been undermined. He also commented that if the government thinks everything is normal, it is not understanding what is happening in the country.
“The country is losing because of this. We need to look at this with some astonishment at the irresponsibility of some. We should make it clear—and the government should realize—that today is not a good day for the government. It is a day when people recognized that the rights of those who work and strive were put into question, and the government failed to convince them because, in reality, it attacked the rights of those who work in various areas,” he said to the press, in relation to the general strike that halted various sectors.
The Chega leader went further, claiming that if the government thinks everything is normal, it is not understanding what is happening in the country. However, he dismissed those who viewed the general strike as “a great political victory,” arguing that “the economy certainly contracted and there are stoppages in services and structures.”
“They should recognize that today was a day to work on how we could improve conditions for workers, companies, and the economy,” he stated, indicating that it is “wrong” and an “attack on freedom” to have “youth parties and even parties that take pride in preventing others from working, putting employees or militants in front of public transport and other structures, hindering people who do not want to strike from working.”
Ventura acknowledged, nevertheless, that there are “reasons for understandable discontent, both among workers and companies,” considering that “the government has not treated the economy well.”
“I understand the use of the strike. I think we should not make the strike a political battle. We should make the strike a last resort when workers feel they have no other way to have their voices heard. I completely understand [the strike]. It was the government’s responsibility to have prevented us from reaching this point. Furthermore, it had, on our part, openness for a sensible, reasoned discussion of the reasons leading to this strike […] and chose not to,” he stated.
The government describes participation as “insignificant,” while CGTP calls it “a very, very large strike”
Presidency Minister António Leitão Amaro downplayed the impact of the general strike, stating that participation was “insignificant.”
“This seems more like a partial civil service strike. The country is working. Participation in the strike is insignificant,” he said at a press conference assessing the strike in Lisbon.
Meanwhile, he emphasized that “the country is calm” and noted that “a minority” joined the stoppage.
“We respect the minority—which truly is a minority—that expressed itself freely today with strikes and demonstrations, and we also greatly respect the overwhelming majority that chose to work,” he said.
Conversely, the CGTP estimated that more than three million people participated in the strike, which, according to its secretary-general, was “one of the largest ever, if not the largest ever.”
“Today we have a very, very, very large strike,” added Tiago Oliveira.
It should be noted that the general strike on December 11 was called by the CGTP and UGT against the proposed revision of the Labor Code. It marks the first joint stoppage by the two unions since June 2013, when Portugal was under ‘troika’ intervention.
António Leitão Amaro stated that “the country is calm” on the day of the general strike. “We respect the minority—which truly is a minority—that expressed itself freely today with strikes and demonstrations, and we also greatly respect the overwhelming majority that chose to work,” he emphasized.
Catarina Correia Rocha | 17:38 – 11/12/2025
