LISBON – Portugal’s Lisbon court ordered Chega party leader Andre Ventura to remove campaign posters targeting the Roma community, ruling they were discriminatory and could incite hatred. Judge Ana Barao stated the posters “attack an ethnic minority” and ordered their removal within 24 hours, threatening a daily fine of 2,500 euros per poster if not complied with. The judge emphasized that the posters worsen existing stigma and prejudice against Roma, fostering intolerance and discrimination in Portuguese society.
Ventura, whose anti-immigration party is now the second-largest in parliament, called the ruling an “attack on freedom of expression” but promised to comply with the court’s decision. Lawyers for Roma associations hailed the verdict as a victory for justice and the Roma community’s resistance to discrimination .Ventura remains a frontrunner in the upcoming presidential election, though polls suggest he would lose in a runoff. Portuguese prosecutors are also investigating previous discriminatory remarks he made against the Roma.