On Tuesday, Chega – a far-right political party led by André Ventura – announced that they plan to take legal action against the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. They accuse him of committing “treason against the Fatherland” and violating the Constitution due to his recent statements regarding possible reparations to former Portuguese colonies for their past mistreatment. Chega’s decision to take legal action seems to be a way for them to gain attention and polarise the political environment ahead of the European elections in June.
“Let’s not let the words we heard from Marcelo during these last few days go unnoticed. Therefore, today, we have decided to prosecute the President of the Republic for treason against the country. In the name of the history of Portugal and our ancestors, may justice be done!” Ventura posted on social media platform X on Tuesday night.
However, for the complaint to progress to the Supreme Court of Justice, Chega needs the favourable opinion of the leading parties, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Socialist Party (PS), which have already shown themselves against the initiative. Ventura’s movement is nothing more than fireworks.
Portugal was responsible for crimes during the colonial era
On April 24, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa acknowledged Portugal’s responsibility for the crimes committed during the transatlantic slave trade and the colonial era. He suggested that there was a need for reparations. However, this declaration infuriated the country’s nationalists. It is important to note that racist behaviours are not unknown in Portugal, as the Council of Europe (CoE) warned in 2021.
Following these declarations, the government of the African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe requested Portugal, on May 2, to repair the moral damages caused by colonialism through an appeal by education and cultural minister Isabel Abreu.
For over four centuries, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped, forcibly transported long distances by mainly European ships and merchants, sold into slavery and ended up toiling on plantations in the Americas, mainly in Brazil and the Caribbean.
Portugal trafficked nearly 6 million Africans, more than any other European nation. However, Portugal avoided confronting its past. Schools provide students with limited information about its role in the transatlantic slave trade.
Portugal’s colonial Empire included Angola, Mozambique, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, and parts of India.
The Council of Europe (CoE) has issued a warning regarding the rise of racist attacks in Portugal in March 2021. The CoE observed that racially motivated crimes were linked to the country’s colonial past. The CoE has suggested that Portugal should take more measures to confront its colonial history and acknowledge its role in the transatlantic slave trade, a critical step in fighting against the growing discrimination and racism.
Portuguese political parties reject cooperation with Ventura
In the general election held on March 10, the far-right party secured third place with 50 seats, a significant increase from their 12 seats in the 2022 election. As a result, André Ventura created various narratives about the party’s role in a coalition government and Portuguese politics.
However, the leading parties, namely the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Socialist Party (PS), realised that Chega represented a severe threat to the country’s political stability and imposed a cordon sanitaire around the far-right party.
In a rare act for the Portuguese political culture, the EPP-affiliated PSD and the PS reached an agreement according to which José Aguiar-Branco, a reformist, will hold the post of Prime Minister for two years. After that, a Socialist Party candidate will follow. The rejection of cooperation was a clear sign that the democratic parties in Portugal could not embark on a political adventure with parties like the party of Ventura. Chega is a member of the Identity and Democracy Group, which brings together the AfD of Germany, Geert Wilders of the Netherlands, French Marine Le Pen, and the Italian League.
