Is Portugal's Trump in the Making? Sousa Tavares Exposes Ventura's 'Ridiculous' Presidential Bid

Analysis of André Ventura's Presidential Candidacy

In a detailed critique, Miguel Sousa Tavares has scrutinized the presidential campaign of André Ventura, leader of the Chega party, drawing striking parallels to Donald Trump's style. Tavares, in his weekly column on TVI's National Journal, highlighted that Ventura's candidacy marks his eighth consecutive run, suggesting a severe lack of viable candidates within the party.

Tavares pointed out the irony in Ventura's repeated assertions that he did not want to pursue this presidency, aiming instead for the prime minister role. He described parts of Ventura's speech as 'frankly almost ridiculous', quoting Ventura's implied plea: 'Hold me back, or I'll become President'. This, Tavares argued, underscores that the support is more for Ventura personally than for Chega as a party, emphasizing the absence of other presentable figures.

On the political justifications, Tavares found Ventura's promises 'very interesting', particularly the vow to defend those who feel betrayed by democracy and left behind by a corrupt political class. However, Tavares criticized this as a deliberate confusion between democracy and economic well-being, warning that the future does not look bright and such rhetoric is 'honey in the soup' for some listeners who ignore Chega's economic program.

Tavares further accused Ventura of emulating Trump's tactics, dubbing him 'our little Trump' for meddling in foreign affairs, such as criticizing Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. He questioned the appropriateness of a presidential candidate advocating for the imprisonment of a foreign leader, drawing a hypothetical analogy to the King of Spain demanding the arrest of Portugal's Prime Minister over domestic issues.

This analysis sheds light on the growing populist trends in Portuguese politics, with Ventura's campaign stirring both support and controversy.