Ventura reveals names of "Shadow Government"

In an interview with Now Canal, André Ventura revealed four of the names of the members of the parallel government, which he promises to present after the legislative elections, which will take place in May 2025.

By Bruno G. Santos, in News, Politics · 19 Sep 2025, 09:59 · 0 Comments

What is a shadow government?

A shadow government is an opposing group to the elected government. The members of these governments will pay attention to what the elected government is doing, criticising when necessary. It can also be defined as an alternative to the actual government.

Names revealed by André Ventura

In the interview, André Ventura revealed that he is "very satisfied" with the names he chose for the shadow government. The Chega leader revealed that Teresa Nogueira Pinto will be responsible for the Ministry of Culture, while Jorge Cid will be eyeing Agriculture, Fernando Silva for Internal Administration, and Horácio Costa for Health. André Ventura also revealed that the rest of the list will be announced soon.

However, during the presentation of the names mentioned, André Ventura made a mistake and referred to Jorge Cide as "Doctor José Cid," the name of a Portuguese singer, which raised some questions on social media. The information was subsequently corrected, as reported by SIC and Observador. According to Rádio Renascença, Jorge Cid has been president of the Order of Veterinarians since 2016 and is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience.

Teresa Nogueira Pinto has a degree in Political Science and a master's degree in International Relations and, in the shadow government, will be closely monitoring the cultural activities of the current government led by Luís Montenegro. Rádio Renascença reports that Teresa Nogueira Pinto is the daughter of Jaime Nogueira Pinto, a political scientist who has attended Chega events.

Horácio Costa is a retired doctor who still works at the Gaia/Espinho Hospital Center and the S. Francisco Hospital. In 2023, the head of Health in André Ventura's shadow government became known for dressing up as a Templar to welcome doctors in training.

Fernando Silva, listed as head of Internal Administration, may or may not be the Chega councilor elected to the Vila Verde City Council in Braga.

The Observador newspaper reveals that two more names may be included in the shadow government, including Rui Gomes da Silva, a former minister and PSD deputy responsible for the Justice portfolio. Miguel Corte Real, the head of the Porto municipal election ticket for Chega, will be responsible for State Reform.

André Ventura was questioned about the delay in revealing the names for the shadow government, to which the Chega leader explained that he was looking for the "right moment" to reveal "independent and quality names" who have "civil society expertise." Although some party names were included, André Ventura revealed that he wanted to include people not directly linked to the party.

Who is André Ventura?

Credits: Supplied Image; Author: Portugal Decoded ;

André Ventura is a lawyer who worked as a sports commentator on CMTV between 2014 and 2020. In 2017, he gained notoriety when he ran for mayor of Loures City Council as the PSD, with frequent speeches against the Roma community. In 2019, he founded the Chega party and six months later was elected the party's sole representative in the Assembly of the Republic.

In 2025, he will run for President of the Portuguese Republic for the second time, despite having been elected as a representative in the Portuguese Parliament, representing the second-most voted party in the last legislative elections.

Currently, the Deputy Editor at The Portugal News, Bruno G. Santos, is really interested in national politics. With a degree in Journalism and Communication, he also loves to write about different topics like Portuguese culture, society and other current affairs. Press card: 8463.