(Image via nytimes.com)
Volunteer Writer: Emma Bowser
Email: ebowser@umassd.edu
Chega is the first hard-right political party to gain traction in Portugal since the end of the dictatorship in 1974. António de Oliveira Salazar was named Prime Minister in 1932 and remained in power until he died in 1970, only four years before the Carnation Revolution.
One of the notable changes to Portuguese society after the revolution was its more progressive values, “that supported liberal drug laws and showed little appetite for the far right.” Thus, the numerical advantage that Chega has quickly gained is leaving some Portuguese citizens concerned about the future.
André Ventura used to be a council member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). Gaining notability from television, his current campaigns primarily take place on social media, where he “has made corruption and record immigration the focus.”
Ventura is advocating for income tax cuts, better pay for police officers, stronger immigration laws, and higher pensions for citizens. His shift in policies since he was elected to parliament in 2019 is considered drastic and has increased support for the Chega party.
Some people have gone so far as to say that Ventura is xenophobic and racist because of his campaign’s emphasis on immigration policies and issues. Portugal’s demographic has a lot of people of color and immigrants, and given that racism and xenophobia have been increasing lately, it’s a genuine concern that many have.
Ventura has been quoted more than once claiming that Islam is dangerous to Europe and should be reduced in the European Union. Although the anti-Islam protest is not connected to Ventura, citizens are concerned about anti-Islam sentiments increasing as a result of his campaign.
In February, an anti-Islam protest in Lisbon was organized by a Portuguese nationalist movement only days before the Portuguese snap elections. Protesters participated in chants supporting Salazar’s dictatorship of Portugal. Although the Lisbon City Council or Court did not authorize this protest, the protesters marched through Lisbon anyway.
As reported by Job Rinol from The Week Magazine, “Naheed Iqbal, one of the few individuals willing to speak about the march, immigrated to Portugal in 2005 and runs a mini-market in Martim Moniz. He asserts that in the last 19 years since his arrival, he has never witnessed such a thing as there being a group against Muslims.”
Furthermore, the “hostility to the Roma community has continued to play a central role in Chega’s messaging, with Ventura repeatedly accusing its members of exploiting the social welfare system.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, he proposed a containment plan for the nomadic people and was later fined for discriminating against the Roma people on social media.
Despite these valid concerns, many citizens continue to favor the Chega party for financial reasons. The Portuguese economy is still in the process of recovering from the worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. While it has grown by 2.3% within the past year, people are still working side jobs and struggling to make ends meet.
Ventura intends to reduce immigration by requiring immigrants to fulfill certain criteria and establishing a quota for the entry of foreign citizens. He is also promoting stricter criminal sentences for crimes related to immigration, such as the reintroduction of life sentences and death penalties.
Citizens who support Chega believe that the party will be a positive influence on the Portuguese economy, protect their sources of income from immigrant workers, and help lower the high cost of housing and rent in Portugal