Rising Star: Portugal's Conservative Leader André Ventura is Taking European Politics by Storm

André Ventura has been causing a stir in the world of European politics, and his meteoric rise to fame shows no signs of slowing down. As the founder and leader of Portugal’s national conservative party, Chega, 40-year-old Ventura has become a force to be reckoned with both at home and abroad. With his bold ideas, unapologetic style, and growing popularity, he is quickly becoming a household name in the European political landscape, attracting praise from conservative European leaders. Whether you love him or hate him, there is no denying that Ventura is a rising star of the European right.

Ventura’s political career began as a member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), but he quickly became disillusioned with the party’s lack of action on issues he felt were important. So in 2019, he founded Chega, with a focus on national conservatism and a strong anti-illegal immigration and anti-globalist stance. The party quickly gained popularity, and in the 2021 legislative elections, Chega won 12 seats in the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic. They quickly became the third-largest party in parliament.

The fifth annual Chega National Convention, held in January 2023, clearly indicated the party’s growing strength. Ventura was re-elected with an impressive 98.3% of the vote, and the party adopted several important motions, including a commitment to fighting corruption, supporting pro-family policies, and eradicating poverty. Ventura also made it clear that Chega would only accept governing as an equal partner and that the right-wing Social Democratic Party would have to work with Chega if they wanted to form a government.

Ventura’s leadership has drawn praise from other conservative leaders across Europe. At the Chega National Convention, Geert Wilders, the leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom, predicted that Ventura would become Portugal’s next Prime Minister. And Ventura’s commitment to national conservatism and the fight against globalism has resonated with other right-wing leaders, such as Tom Van Grieken of the Flemish party Vlaams Belang, who referred to themselves as “freedom fighters of the 21st century.”

Several conservative parties and their representatives, including Rocio Monasterio, the leader of Vox in Madrid, Tino Chrupalla, the president of Germany’s AfD, Kinga Gál, the vice-president of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party, Boris Kollar of the Slovak movement Sme Rodina (We are Family), and Claudiu Târziu from AUR Romania (Alliance for Romanians’ Unity), have stressed the importance of uniting European conservative forces. They share common values such as defending sovereignty, protecting borders, and prioritizing the family.

Chrupalla and Târziu have emphasized the need for unity to ensure continental safety and counteract external division. Târziu also expressed the belief that unifying conservative forces is the only way to reform the European Union and counteract what he called the “neo-Marxist cancer.”

But it is not just Ventura’s political stances that have gained his attention. His strength, confidence, and charisma have also made him a standout figure in European politics. He is seen as the symbol of the Portuguese sovereigntist and conservative right, with an authentic, strong, and realistic public discourse that resonates with those who love their country.

Of course, Ventura and Chega also have their detractors, who criticize the party’s anti-illegal Immigrant, anti-sharia, and anti-Islamic supremacist stances, among other things. But there is no denying that Ventura is a political force to be reckoned with and that his rise to prominence is a sign of the growing strength of national conservatism in Europe.

Just this Friday, Ventura announced that Chega is set to host a world summit in Lisbon with a lineup of high-profile conservative leaders in May. The list of attendees includes heavyweights such as former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and Italian deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini. In a video statement, Ventura declared that Bolsonaro and Salvini had already accepted their invitations to the “great conservative world summit” taking place on May 13th and 14th. Ventura’s explained that “the presence of Jair Bolsonaro, Matteo Salvini, and many other leaders of the conservative movement in Europe places Lisbon as one of the strongest new centers of conservatism in Europe and one of the world references in the fight against socialism.” And there’s more to come. Ventura hinted at additional big-name invitees in March, including Marine Le Pen of France and Geert Wilders. This summit will be one of the most powerful for the global conservative movement.

Ventura and his party, Chega, are on the rise in Portugal and beyond. With a commitment to national conservatism and a strong anti-illegal immigration stance, Ventura has gained support from other conservative leaders across Europe. And with his strength, confidence, and charisma, he has become a symbol of the Portuguese right. Whether or not one agrees with his political stances, there is no denying that Ventura is a rising star of European politics.