André Ventura, chief of the Conservative Chega Occasion, has withdrawn from the marketing campaign after being hospitalized for the second time in 48 hours.
This occasion, which occurred amid an intense electoral battle, has not solely jeopardized Chega’s technique however has additionally sparked controversy relating to Ventura’s well being, his incendiary rhetoric, and the rising affect of the far proper in Portugal.
On Could 13, 2025, André Ventura collapsed throughout a rally in Tavira, Algarve. The Chega chief clutched his chest and throat, displaying clear indicators of ache earlier than being rushed to Faro Hospital.
The preliminary analysis pointed to a hypertension episode and gastroesophageal reflux, in accordance with statements made by Pedro Pinto, Chega’s parliamentary chief.
Tried comeback and new hospitalization.
After being discharged on Could 14, Ventura tried to renew the marketing campaign on Could 15 in Odemira. Nonetheless, throughout a marketing campaign stroll, he collapsed once more, clutching his chest and falling into the arms of his aides.
He was transferred to the Hospital do Litoral Alentejano and later to Setúbal Hospital, the place he underwent a catheterization. Medical doctors identified an “acute esophageal spasm,” ruling out cardiac points.
Withdrawal from the marketing campaign.
On Could 15, Chega introduced that Ventura wouldn’t participate within the marketing campaign’s last stretch, prioritizing his well being. “Our president will return residence after being discharged,” the get together acknowledged.
Nonetheless, in a shock transfer, Ventura appeared on Could 16 in Lisbon on the marketing campaign’s closing rally, visibly emotional. “These had been troublesome days, however right here I’m,” he stated.
Political Context: The rise of Chega.
Chega, based in 2019 by Ventura, has reshaped the Portuguese political panorama. In 2024, it secured 50 seats and 18% of the vote, turning into the third-largest parliamentary power.
Its anti-immigration, anti-corruption, and anti-elite discourse has resonated in a Portugal disillusioned with the normal two-party system of the Socialist Occasion (PS) and the Social Democratic Occasion (PSD).
Controversies in the course of the marketing campaign.
Ventura’s marketing campaign has been marked by controversy. His verbal clashes with Roma communities have drawn widespread criticism. After his first hospitalization, he stirred additional scandal by justifying his non-public room in Faro, stating: “Did you need the gypsies to kill me in a hallway?”. These feedback had been broadly condemned as racist by the media and opposition events.
Performing Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa each wished Ventura a speedy restoration. Nonetheless, Rebelo de Sousa warned him to not return to the marketing campaign path too rapidly.
Ventura’s collapse is not only a private tragedy, however a mirrored image of the tensions inside a divided Portugal. Chega has capitalized on public frustration with the elites, however its hate-fueled discourse and overreliance on a single determine reveal its structural weak spot. The left, usually complacent, has failed to supply compelling alternate options to cease the far-right’s rise.
These elections won’t solely decide the nation’s subsequent authorities however can even reveal whether or not Portugal can face up to the polarization threatening its democracy. Ventura’s well being—each literal and symbolic—will function a thermometer for this battle.
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