Ventura claims that Chega is the party that most aligns with Passos' ideas.
Rewritten Article:
André Ventura, chief honcho of Chega, a right-wing, national conservative political party, reckons that on the 18th, Dr. Pedro Passos Coelho will find himself scratching his head, asking, "To whom should I cast my vote, and who's got my back?" Ventura is adamant that the answer to that question is Chega and Dr. André Ventura himself.
According to Ventura, all of Passos Coelho's actions thus far have been geared toward affirming Chega's political line on family, integration, immigration, gender ideology, and security. He's convinced that Passos Coelho will vote for Chega in these elections.
On the third day of this legislative rubdown, dedicated to the Porto district, Ventura made an appearance at Bolhão Market and strolled down Santa Catarina Street, doing the traditional vote-chasing walkabout.
During this campaign action, journalists posed a question to Ventura about the words of ex-PM Pedro Passos Coelho, who, when entering the PSD's anniversary shindig, urged the party to keep up its "reformist tradition" and stop being a wallflower when it comes to global events.
Ventura agreed with ex-Social Democrat leader that we need a reformist spirit. However, he took a jab at current PSD president and Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, accusing him of governing like the left-wing Socialist Party (PS).
"We need the brass to enact real reforms, not just the appearance of them," Ventura argued, pushing for improvements in security, health, corruption, and immigration.
He also characterized himself as the OG (Original Gangster) and Luís Montenegro as the copycat, explaining that "when folks have to choose between the original and the copy, they usually go for the OG, because copies are often shoddy, counterfeit, or fake."
"I believe that in these elections, we've got the original - someone who's said he'd control immigration, fight corruption, and make edu-reforms. And there's the copy, who only started reciting this rhetoric recently, in an attempt to divert attention from the Spinumviva issue," he added.
Ventura also believes that Passos Coelho, who led the country from 2011 to 2015, has been making an effort within the PSD to steer its president and leaders away from making errors.
"Pedro Passos Coelho has even shouted from the rooftops that the PSD is going down the wrong road. And now, as elections draw near, he sees that Chega is gaining momentum, backed by a groundswell of public support. So he's grabbing for a copy. If copying can make Portugal a better place, that's not bad - we'd prefer the country to improve. But between the original and the copy, folks usually seek the original - and that's Chega," Ventura emphasized.
Ventura is convinced that a vote for Chega will guarantee stability.
"At this moment, Chega is the only party that can ensure that stability, because if Chega takes the lead on the right, the PSD's leadership will undergo a change. This means we might witness a historical right-wing majority in charge of Portugal," he asserted, insisting that "all other scenarios are uncertain."
"No, we had an AD (Democratic and Reformist Party) government last year. Did it bring stability? Absolutely not. We had a PS government with an absolute majority that collapsed due to corruption. Was there stability? Absolutely not," he finished up.
Read Also: Ventura Takes Aim at Cristina Rodrigues from PSD
In case you're curious, André Ventura is a Portuguese politician who, apart from being the founder and leader of Chega, became well-known for his conservative and populist views. After kickstarting his political journey as a candidate for the mayor of Loures during the 2017 local elections, he left the Social Democratic Party (PSD) in 2018 due to internal squabbles. He then formed Chega, a party known for its emphasis on issues like immigration control, security, and so-called traditional values. Given his outspokenness and controversial statements, Ventura clearly positions himself as a challenger to mainstream politics in Portugal.
Regarding Dr. Pedro Passos Coelho, who served as the leader of the PSD and prime minister from 2011 to 2015, Ventura's statements have not received specific attention in the available search results. However, Ventura's decision to leave the PSD and establish Chega signals a significant divergence from the PSD's traditional centrist policies. Ventura may critically scrutinize the PSD's leadership and policies, considering them insufficiently conservative or populist, reflecting his own right-wing stance.
- André Ventura, the leader of Chega, a right-wing political party, believes that Pedro Passos Coelho, a former prime minister, will find himself voting for Chega due to their shared political ideologies on family, integration, immigration, gender ideology, and security.
- In the Porto district's legislative session, Ventura publically expressed his conviction that Passos Coelho's actions align with Chega's political line, but warned the current PSD president and prime minister, Luís Montenegro, to enact real reforms rather than just appearing to do so.
- During a campaign event, Ventura, while acknowledging the need for reformist spirit, criticized Montenegro for governing like the left-wing Socialist Party, and characterized himself as the Original Gangster (OG) and Montenegro as the copycat.
- Ventura emphasized that in the upcoming elections, a vote for Chega would guarantee a historical right-wing majority in Portugal, ensuring stability, in contrast to recent AD and PS governments that failed to deliver on this front.
