At a press conference at Chega’s headquarters, André Ventura argued that both regionalization and euthanasia cannot be carried out solely based on approval by the Assembly of the Republic. Therefore, he insisted that the Portuguese people must be consulted through a referendum.
The leader of Chega pointed out that the issue of euthanasia, already approved by parliament, “rests in the drawer” of the President of the Republic. He justified his proposal for a national consultation on regionalization, which is already envisaged in the Constitution, by citing existing doubts about the process for its potential implementation.
“Some wish to regionalize the country covertly through organic laws,” he warned, before challenging his main opponents on the matter of referendums.
“From my perspective, deeply divisive issues should be submitted to a referendum to prevent a transient, fleeting majority from deciding on them. This applies both to regionalization and, more urgently, to euthanasia. In both cases, I personally do not agree with this model of regionalization, which aims to distribute more political positions across the country, nor with euthanasia,” he concluded.
According to the Constitution, “citizens eligible to vote in the national territory may be called to pronounce directly, with binding effect, through a referendum, by decision of the President of the Republic, upon proposal from the Assembly of the Republic or the Government, on matters within their respective competences, in cases and under terms set out in the Constitution and the law.”
The Constitution stipulates that “the President of the Republic shall submit to preventive review the constitutionality and legality of referendum proposals submitted by the Assembly of the Republic or the Government,” and that “referendum proposals rejected by the President of the Republic or receiving a negative response from the electorate cannot be renewed in the same legislative session, except in the event of a new election of the Assembly of the Republic or until the Government is dismissed.”
Politically, André Ventura sought to assure: “If elected President of the Republic, I will not be a mere decorative figure or ribbon-cutter; I will be proactive and an action-oriented head of state.”
“We do not need a President of the Republic who acts as a merely symbolic player in the Portuguese political-constitutional system. We need a President capable of intervention, justifying his salary and respecting the majority’s will. On January 18, the Portuguese will decide the type of President they desire, more than whom they want as President,” asserted the leader of Chega.
Addressing journalists in his capacity as presidential candidate, André Ventura also commented on the Government’s proposed 2026 State Budget approval, describing proceedings in parliament as “democratic normality.”
In his view, there were no “negative coalitions” concerning matters like freezing tuition fees, exemption from toll payments on certain highway sections, or decisions to improve mental health conditions.
“It was a demonstration of democratic normality. The three major parties — PSD, Chega, and PS — with variable arrangements, formed majorities in parliament,” he contended.
“What the country witnessed was democratic normality, and this spirit of democratic normality is something that any presidential candidate should commend, as it means that parties, with their different majorities and arrangements, do not succumb to government pressure,” he added.
