Authorities say the neo-Nazi Movimento Armilar Lusitano compiled a list of political and public figures it blamed for Portugal’s “national decline,” including António Costa.
Portugal is facing renewed concern over violent far-right extremism after prosecutors accused members of the neo-Nazi Movimento Armilar Lusitano of preparing attacks against senior public figures and compiling a list of perceived enemies of the nation.
The group, described by investigators as an extremist movement with neo-Nazi and supremacist influences, allegedly targeted politicians, journalists, commentators, artists and civic figures it considered responsible for Portugal’s decline. Among the names reported to have appeared on the group’s list was António Costa, the former Portuguese prime minister and current president of the European Council.
According to Portuguese media reports citing the prosecution file, the group’s primary focus included Prime Minister Luís Montenegro. Investigators allege that members discussed possible violent action against him, including scenarios involving his Lisbon residence. The case has drawn particular concern because one of the suspects was reportedly a police officer serving with the Lisbon municipal police, accused of improperly accessing information related to Montenegro’s address and security arrangements.
The alleged plot did not materialize, but prosecutors argue that the seriousness of the discussions, the collection of information and the weapons-related material seized during the investigation demonstrate the group’s dangerous potential. Authorities have linked the case to broader charges including terrorism, illegal weapons possession, incitement to hatred and unlawful access to information.
The Movimento Armilar Lusitano was dismantled in 2025 by Portugal’s counterterrorism police unit. At the time, authorities seized weapons, explosives, ammunition, neo-Nazi propaganda and material associated with the production or modification of firearms, including the use of 3D-printing technology.
The latest accusations deepen concerns about the evolution of Portugal’s far-right networks from online radicalization and propaganda toward organized structures capable of planning violence. The case also arrives at a politically sensitive moment, as anti-immigration rhetoric and extremist messaging have gained visibility across parts of Europe.
For Portugal, a country whose modern democratic identity was shaped by the 1974 Carnation Revolution and the end of dictatorship, the investigation carries symbolic weight. It challenges the state not only to prosecute alleged extremist crimes, but also to confront the networks, ideologies and institutional vulnerabilities that allowed such a group to develop.
The case is now expected to test how firmly Portuguese authorities can respond to violent extremism while preserving public trust in democratic institutions. For the figures named on the group’s list, the threat may have been disrupted. For the country, the warning is harder to dismiss.
