Earlier this week at Lisbon’s Campo de Ourique market, the conversation had turned—a little inevitably—to Sunday’s presidential election, which will decide who succeeds the outgoing Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. But amid the usual claims, counterclaims, promises, and pledges, one candidate has been offering voters something a bit more enticing than his competitors.
“Wouldn’t you like a Ferrari, like he promised?” one fishmonger laughingly asked a colleague. But his colleague wasn’t swayed by the offer; his vote would go to André Ventura, the former football commentator who founded and leads the increasingly popular far-right Chega party.
The man promising every Portuguese citizen a Ferrari if elected is Candidate Vieira, a fictional character created and played by Manuel João Vieira, a renowned artist, musician, and comedian who is running an official, yet satirical, campaign.
In an unusual presidential election featuring 11 candidates—with polls showing little separation among the top five and no one expected to win outright in the first round—Vieira’s caricature campaign reflects the growing anti-elite and anti-establishment sentiment taking hold in Portuguese politics.
Beyond the Ferraris-for-all pledge, Vieira has promised wine flowing from taps in every household, the creation of a city called Vieirópolis where AI would free people from work, an individual mother figure for everyone to combat loneliness, and a skin-tone homogenization treatment to darken or lighten skin as a solution to anti-migration sentiment.
Ventura is narrowly leading the polls, closely followed by António José Seguro of the Socialist party. But the race for a spot in the runoff remains wide open. This is the first time in 40 years that Portugal’s presidential election will, in all likelihood, go to a second round.
The fact that the Portuguese president holds no legislative powers—despite having the right to dissolve parliament, call snap elections, and veto legislation—doesn’t make Sunday’s results any less consequential.
“These elections mark the end of a tradition in which the presidency was sought by strong political figures associated with the regime and the elite,” says António Costa Pinto, a political scientist at Lisbon University’s Institute of Social Sciences.
He noted that this became clear when Henrique Gouveia e Melo, the retired admiral who led Portugal’s vaccination campaign during the Covid pandemic, chose to run as an independent. “It was also highlighted by the fact that some charismatic politicians decided to take a pass, most likely to avoid being associated with the elites by the far right,” Costa Pinto said. “As for the Socialist candidate, a more traditional politician, most people don’t seem enthusiastic about voting for him and see it as something they need to do to prevent Ventura from winning.”
Although polls show more than 60% of voters would reject the far-right leader in a runoff against any of the other top four contenders, the likelihood of Ventura securing a place in the second round means he will probably continue to upend Portugal’s political system.
In last May’s general election, Chega—which Ventura founded in 2019—capitalized on widespread dissatisfaction with Portugal’s mainstream left and right parties to leapfrog the Socialists and become the main opposition party. “If Ventura makes it to the runoff and gets 35% of the vote, that will alter the landscape of right-wing representation in Portugal, because it will mean Chega can appeal to voters from that spectrum, and not just what we…”Now considered his electoral base, Costa Pinto said.
At the Campo de Ourique market, Carlos Elias, a 53-year-old fishmonger, had already decided to vote for Vieira in the first round.
“Candidate Vieira is the greatest,” he said. “I’ve known him for years, I’ve watched his concerts, and I find him funny. If he ended up being elected, he would do the same as others anyway—he would just stroll around and take selfies with people.”
Vieira says he isn’t bothered that some voters compare him to Ventura, since both are seen as anti-establishment candidates.
“I understand why some think that way, because André Ventura has convinced people he’s fighting against the system,” he said. “That’s not true. He’s part of the system. He’s pushing old ideas as if they’re new, which motivates some to vote for him.”
Vieira’s campaign, run largely on social media, has produced dozens of intentionally rough AI memes and videos filled with utopian promises that mock traditional TV political ads.
Drawing on the dialect and style of Portuguese popular culture, and often using crude and vulgar language, Vieira’s posts—most of which have gone viral—aim to expose the absurd everyday language that has taken over politics.
“I want to be more absurd than Donald Duck Trump,” he said when announcing his run for the 2026 presidency. He also ran in 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016, but this is the first time he has gained enough support to appear on the ballot.
Several young men approached Vieira as he campaigned in the market on Wednesday, asking for selfies, congratulating him, and cheering him on.
“I’ll vote for Candidate Vieira,” said Manuel Gil, an 18-year-old student. “I can’t see myself voting for anyone else. I think the way he makes fun of politics is important to get people to pay attention to all the misinformation out there. So many young people are voting for Chega, and we’re trying to stop them. Candidate Vieira has been helping us do that.”
Polls show the comedian with 1% of voting intentions, putting him just behind candidates from the historic Portuguese Communist Party and Livre, a left-wing party represented in the European Parliament.
However ludicrous and doomed his campaign may seem, Vieira insists that his idealistic, unrealistic promises have a deep and worthy purpose in a political system marked by apathy, discontent and disillusionment.
“I use metaphorical language, and I’m interested in mixing fantasy with reality,” he said.
“Fantasy is part of life, and Utopia used to be part of politics, but it disappeared years ago. I want to spark people’s imagination, because it’s through imagination that we create solutions that lead to happiness. These days, there’s a lot of rubbish.
If people want to bet on the absurd, at least they should bet on the absurdity and surrealism of their own dreams and desires. That’s one of the most honest things out there.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs that blend the two topics in a satirical yet informative way as requested
FAQs Ferraris Wine on Tap and Portugals Unusual Election
Beginner General Questions
Q1 Wait whats the connection between a Ferrari wine on tap and a presidential election
A In Portugals 2021 presidential election a satirical candidate named Tiago Mayan ran on a platform promising a Ferrari for every citizen and wine on tap in public fountains It was a humorous protest to highlight serious issues like inequality and political disillusionment
Q2 What is wine on tap exactly
A Its exactly what it sounds likewine served from a keg like beer Its stored in a sealed container with inert gas to keep it fresh for weeks after opening
Q3 Why would a Ferrari be a campaign promise
A It was an absurd attentiongrabbing metaphor It symbolized extreme wealth and luxury contrasting sharply with the everyday economic struggles of many citizens The promise was impossible which was the pointto critique empty political promises
Q4 Did people actually believe these promises
A No Voters understood it was satire Mayan received about 3 of the vote showing significant support for his protest message not for literal Ferraris
Advanced Practical Questions
Q5 What are the real benefits of wine on tap vs bottled wine
A For barsrestaurants its cheaper has less waste is more environmentally friendly and stays perfectly fresh For you it often means a bettervalue glass of wine that hasnt been oxidized
Q6 Whats the common problem with maintaining a Ferrari that makes one for everyone comical
A Besides the astronomical cost Ferraris require extremely specialized expensive maintenance They are highperformance machines needing expert care specific fuels and costly partsthe opposite of a practical car for the people
Q7 Can you get good quality wine on tap or is it just cheap house wine
