‘We are not extremist’: Portugal’s radical right eyes kingmaker role
CNN
There are signs that a lurch to the right is brewing in Portugal and many European nations, just as Donald Trump leaps toward the Republican nomination in the US.
Afonso Mestre proudly displays the Portugal-shaped pin badge for the Chega party on his green knit sweater, as he greets people on a sunny and crisp morning in Cartaxo, an hour’s drive from the capital, Lisbon. The 20-year-old took time off his bachelor’s degree to be here, campaigning for the man who he believes will change Portugal. “I don’t believe in parties, I believe in people,” Mestre says. “Before Chega, I already identified with André.” By André, Mestre means André Ventura, the populist former football pundit at the helm of Portugal’s radical right-wing party, Chega. Chega translates to “Enough,” and it has been the country’s third-most popular political force, since winning more than 7% of votes in the last elections, in 2022. Portugal is one of dozens of countries that are holding elections this year, making 2024 a pivotal year in international affairs. There are signs that a lurch to the right is brewing in many European nations, just as Donald Trump leaps toward the Republican nomination in the US election in November. Founded in 2019, polls suggest that the fledgling Chega party may get 15% in Sunday’s snap general elections, called after a corruption scandal that implicated members of the country’s ruling party forced the prime minister to resign.
