Chega leader warns PM and President that interior minister's tenure threatens institutional functioning

André Ventura, president of the right-wing Chega party, held a press conference at party headquarters in Lisbon on Monday and escalated his criticism of Interior Minister Luís Neves. Ventura had sent a letter to Prime Minister Luís Montenegro on Saturday warning that keeping Neves in office would drag the government into "criminal complicity" and alter Chega's relationship with the PSD/CDS executive.

Whoever leads a government must have the ability to understand that there are moments when you either let yourself be dragged along by the whole situation surrounding an element, or you have to cut ties with that element.

Ventura argued that the prime minister and Neves himself should recognise that resignation is "the best way to safeguard the integrity of the state and institutions." He added that if Montenegro does not act, President António José Seguro should step in.

I think the President of the Republic should alert the government that Luís Neves has no conditions to continue as minister. Jorge Sampaio, for much less compelling reasons, said this about Armando Vara.

Ventura declined to say whether Chega would table a censure motion, stressing that the government's accountability has two vertices: the President, who can appeal to the regular functioning of institutions, and parliament, which should use more lethal instruments only as a last resort. He noted that hearing Neves "in September" is not adequate given the gravity of the case.