Portuguese politics rarely delivers any kind of laugh. But today, a lot of people are laughing because of some hilariously misguided comments over social media made by CHEGA leader André Ventura.
Mr Ventura, and his party, voted against President Marcelo’s request to travel to Berlin for an official visit today, taking in the city’s Bürgerfest. Other parties however saw no harm in the president’s intentions – and he is very possibly already in Germany now.
But CHEGA’s reasons for disagreeing with the trip is what has caused all the laughs:
“Parliament has approved a trip by the Head of State to Germany to go to a hamburger festival! Paid for with our taxes. Your taxes!” André Ventura told his followers over social media yesterday. “Do you think this is normal? Won’t the Portuguese revolt?”
Holding what appears to be a programme (of said ‘festival of hamburgers’), Mr Ventura continued: “CHEGA voted against this, as is evident. This is a disgrace! But you know why these things happen, don’t you? Because no one tells you about them. You don’t revolt, because you don’t know (…) Tell me how ridiculous this is. How stupid it is!”
It didn’t take long for the clips to be seen by people who understand a modicum of German and know that ‘Bürgerfest’ has nothing to do with hamburgers. In German, a bürger is a citizen. This is a Citizens Festival, held in the gardens of the president of the German Federal Republic.
Even Marcelo’s official page explains that he is going to the event “to honour volunteer work, and promote civic involvement”.
There is no whiff of hamburgers.
With a number of personalities delighting in this show of ignorance, André Ventura has since removed his posts… but they are still giving people a welcome laugh at a point in our collective history when laughter really is in short supply.
Source: Lusa/ ‘X’
