André Ventura: “Marcelo is not guaranteeing the swift implementation of the immigration law”

Chega's president, André Ventura, considered the entry into force of the Immigration Law urgent and blamed the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, for this delay, on Monday.

"There was a delay in the new foreigners' law coming into effect—the President of the Republic is responsible. The political judgment will be made at the right time. If we don't have doors or windows in our homes, the country will become a wasteland. We don't know for sure how many immigrants live in Portugal," said André Ventura.

For Chega, "this is a scenario of total lack of control." "This isn't a minor detail. We must implement control measures, and do so urgently. The President of the Republic isn't guaranteeing the law's swift passage," he emphasized.

Ventura also addressed the local elections, stating that the party continues to "closely monitor the candidates." "Our goal is to win councils in Alentejo and the rest of the country, bringing about real change at the national level. We know it's a difficult area, but we've sensed a growing desire for change among the population."

"As Party President, I'm here to encourage and mobilize the districts. The biggest challenge is to transform the national victory into a local victory. We want to strengthen this work even in the smallest towns, and we must reach out to the people," said Ventura.

According to the Chega leader, the goal "is to present 308 candidates," and thus "compete in all of them." "This year, we have many more people willing to run. Still, there are many who are afraid to show their support for Chega, which is extremely negative. We want to break that barrier."

"In smaller municipal councils, there are people involved in business or the public sector who are afraid to speak out. This is a very worrying sign for democracy," he said.

Arson was another topic addressed by André Ventura. The Chega leader stated that "there are detainees who have already confessed to these crimes. Although there are different types of crimes, these criminals cannot remain at large. Some have alcoholism or drug addiction problems." In light of this, the party leader accused the government of doing "a very poor job in this fight."