Things are Tight in Portuguese Politics: CHEGA to Government Until Tuesday

This time, the center of the crisis is Interior Minister Luís Neves and the harsh criticism directed at him. André Ventura, leader of the right-wing populist CHEGA party, gave the government a clear ultimatum, demanding that this issue be resolved by Tuesday (September 1); Otherwise, he announced that they would submit a motion of no confidence to the parliament.

Ventura argues that the allegations against the former PJ National Director have now reached an unacceptable level. Although he said in his statement in Coimbra that his aim was not to drag the country into a political crisis, the harsh language he used greatly increased the tension. Stating that the government was damaging the credibility of the institutions, Ventura went as far as saying, "We are left with a minister like Al Capone."

Reaction from the government: "Keep calm"

The government side does not seem to step back. While Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and his team continued to stand behind Luís Neves, PSD spokesman Sebastião Bugalho stated that they did not take the threats seriously and called on Ventura to "calm down a little".

The atmosphere spoken in the political backstage is a little different: CHEGA may have pushed itself into a political corner with this decision. Because, let alone presenting a motion of no confidence, it is a big question mark whether it will find enough support for this motion from other parties in the parliament.

In any case, all eyes are on Tuesday. We will see together whether the government will step back or whether we will witness a new political showdown in the Portuguese parliament.

Source: LUSA, Correio da Manhã, Natasha Donn / Portugal Resident

Image Source: Paulo Novais / Lusa