The Constitutional Court has deemed the elected bodies at Chega’s VI Convention in Viana do Castelo invalid. This issue may be resolved by convening a national convention by those whose terms began on June 29, 2019, at the first National Convention, and who remain members despite their terms having long expired. However, the party leader, André Ventura, expressed indifference to the credibility granted by institutions like the Constitutional Court, emphasizing that he cares only about the credibility granted by the Portuguese people.
The election of national bodies at Chega’s VI Convention was already declared illegal in February 2024, a decision that was challenged by the party and reaffirmed by the Court in late May.
An excerpt from the ruling highlights that “the National Council of the Defendant Party, which adopted the resolution subject to this appeal, had a composition that violated Article 19 of the Statutes, as it included 70 elected national counselors, while the statutory number was only 30,” according to the ruling consulted by Notícias ao Minuto.
The document further emphasized that “given each member’s designation within the collegiate body, the composition established as a result of the electoral act is illegal, as the ballots for electing the Party’s organs should have included the exact number of members stipulated by the Statutes.”
Accordingly, actions or resolutions made by this illegally elected and constituted body are invalid due to their foundational legal defect, notwithstanding other potential legal violations.
Therefore, convening a national convention by members elected in the first National Convention, who remain party members, is necessary despite their expired mandates.
Meanwhile, André Ventura argued on RTP3 that “Chega does not need legitimacy from regime institutions,” stating its credibility comes from the Portuguese people. “With all due respect, I don’t care if RTP or other media, or if the Justice Ombudsman or the Constitutional Court, grant us credibility. I only care about the credibility from one entity: the Portuguese people,” he said on Wednesday.
