Vitorino threw stones. Ventura kept them all and continued to build his path – Observer

The moment of debate between André Ventura and Vitorino Silva came, curiously, when the microphones were already off: the second to deliver stones of various colors that he had collected on the beach, as a symbol of the need to receive everyone and tear down walls, and a critique. implicit in the Chega program. Ventura, smiling, appreciated the gesture. No one left the debate unsatisfied.

Vitorino Silva did not leave because he got the political exposure he wanted. He repeated some metaphors that he has been rehearsing, he spoke of António Guterres, to whom he owes his first minute of fame, he swore that he was only the candidate of the people and even dared to stick André Ventura to the system that wants to preserve the monopoly of access to politics. And power.

He agreed with Chega’s candidate regarding reducing the number of deputies and avoided talking about the controversy surrounding the Minister of Justice (“each monkey in his branch”). Going from monkey to donkey, he also decided to interrupt Ventura’s tirades about the gypsy community.

Gypsies are not stupid, they are people. There are many people who wanted an opportunity and do not have it. There are gypsies who ask for work and don’t give it because they are gypsies ”.

André Ventura took advantage of a large part of the 30-minute debate to take a quick trip on the topics that are dear to him: the inspiration of Marine Le Pen and Matteo Salvini, the future of the right (“without Chega and without PSD right in Portugal ”), about Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (“ he is completely discredited on the right ”) or Francisca Van Dunem. “This Minister of Justice is not in a position to remain in government.”

And, of course, he did not forget the issue of the gypsies, who suggested that they lived outside the rules of society and who accused him of feeding on subsidies provided by the state while they have Mercedes at the door. All? A few? Ventura never came to fruition. And even when Vitorino Silva said there was a stigma towards this community, which in many cases fuels a vicious cycle of social exclusion, Ventura was quick to say: “A stigma that ‘they’ help create.” Ventura won the day.

For the most part, there wasn’t much. If Vitorino Silva did not forget António Guterres, André Ventura sighed for Pedro Passos Coelho. The Chega leader referred twice to the former prime minister (“my friend,” Ventura assumed) and once again left the desire for a return in the air. Ventura seems to need Rio but cannot forget Passos Coelho.

For now, it is the presidential elections and after a shouting match with João Ferreira, of the PCP, there was now a tailored debate, without contradictions. Or, as Vitorino Silva himself classified, it was a “fresh debate.”