Portugal elections: Far-right former football pundit running for PM 

Friday is the last day of campaigning ahead of Portugal’s elections this Sunday.

All eyes are on the far-right Chega (Enough) party and the potentially unprecedented role it may assume in national politics, despite remaining as the third-largest force in parliament.

The party’s leader, André Ventura, a former councillor for the centre-right Social Democratic Party (PSD) and one-time trainee priest, gained recognition through his appearances on national television discussing football. Ventura has strategically focused on corruption and immigration in viral social media campaigns.

Since his initial election to parliament in 2019, Ventura has showcased adaptability, successfully broadening Chega’s support base without significantly undermining its credibility. Previously advocating for measures like chemical castration for rapists in criminal justice, Ventura now presents himself as a supporter of police officers advocating for improved wages. Similarly, in areas like education and health, where Chega initially called for reduced state intervention, Ventura now proposes more moderate reforms while pledging increased pensions.

The upcoming snap election follows the resignation of Socialist Prime Minister António Costa, embroiled in an investigation regarding irregularities in state contracts, providing Ventura with additional material for his campaign.