Portugal’s far-right Chega party made historic gains in the country’s national elections held in early March. Taking 18% of the vote, the party sought to seduce Portugal’s youth, in a year which marks 50 years since Portugal overthrew its dictatorship.
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00:00We're here in Lisbon, Portugal, where recent election results have sent shockwaves across
00:04the country. The far-right Chega party surged in popularity, taking 50 seats. The party
00:10has managed to captivate Portugal's youth, many of whom say they are fed up by unemployment
00:15and a lack of opportunities. However, others say the party is dangerous and xenophobic.
00:20Let's find out some more.
00:23Portugal was created in 2019 by Andre Ventura, surging from 12 to 50 seats in March's elections.
00:30The far-right surge comes as Portugal marks 50 years since its right-wing dictatorship
00:35was overthrown. The party looked to attract young voters. 25-year-old Rita Maria Matias,
00:42who calls herself an anti-feminist, was re-elected to parliament.
00:46People are a little bit afraid of the right because they have their scars and the scars
00:50are fair. But I can't answer for a period where I wasn't living. We are tired to feel
00:58that in France, in England, in Switzerland, we have more opportunities than in Portugal.
01:07For anti-discrimination organisations, Chega represents a threat to minorities.
01:13Chega is a form of propaganda, it's a form of washing the racist ideas and what people
01:23usually say about voting on Chega, it's a vote against system. Because they are tired,
01:29they are upset with many politics, but it's not. It's a vote in racism, it's a vote in
01:36discrimination, it's a vote against minorities.
01:42Chega has been accused of racism, Islamophobia and of targeting Portugal's Roma community.
01:49The party denies accusations of racism, stating that these are fear-mongering tactics.
01:58Political scientist Antonio Costa Pinto explains how Chega targeted young people.
02:03Chega did innovate in terms of political campaigns. First, because they are number one in the
02:10use of social media, especially TikTok. The radical right has a clear male vote. Women
02:19did vote more for the left. There is a clear move from the left to the right of the young
02:28voter in Portugal.