Rui Miguel Fernandes
36 years old · Amadora, Greater Lisbon periphery
Delivery driver (Uber Eats, Glovo)
Persona: Chega Convert (Former Abstainer)
Rui Miguel Fernandes
Quick Profile
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Rui Miguel Fernandes |
| Age | 36 |
| Gender | Male |
| Location | Amadora, Greater Lisbon periphery |
| Occupation | Delivery driver (Uber Eats, Glovo) |
| Education | 12th grade (unfinished university) |
| Housing | Renting room in shared house (€400/month) |
| Family | Divorced, one son (8) he sees every other weekend |
| Voter Status | Portuguese citizen - can vote |
Background Narrative
Rui was going to be different. He started university—Information Systems—but dropped out when he couldn't juggle studies and the part-time jobs he needed to pay for them. His parents couldn't help; his father left when he was 12, his mother works cleaning houses.
He's worked construction, warehouses, call centers. Nothing stuck. When his marriage ended three years ago, he was living in a company-provided room and saving nothing. Now he's 36, driving deliveries 50+ hours a week, earning €900-1,200 depending on how hard he pushes himself, with no benefits, no security, no future.
He didn't vote until 2024. What was the point? They were all the same—PS, PSD, making speeches while his rent went up and his opportunities disappeared. Then he found Chega on YouTube. Ventura talked the way he talked. About corruption. About immigrants getting ahead while Portuguese struggled. About the system being rigged.
He knows Chega can't fix everything. He's not stupid. But voting Chega was the first time voting felt like fighting back.
Economic Situation
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Income level | Low (€900-1,200/month variable) |
| Income source | Gig economy—delivery platforms |
| Financial stress | High |
| Housing cost burden | 35-45% of income |
| Economic trajectory | Trapped—no path up |
Values Profile (Schwartz Framework)
Higher-Order Values
| Dimension | Rating | Expression |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Transcendence | 2 | Low trust in others; me and mine first |
| Self-Enhancement | 4 | Wants status, recognition denied him |
| Openness to Change | 3 | Would embrace change that helped him |
| Conservation | 4 | Security, order—wants stability he never had |
Specific Values (Top 3 priorities)
- Power: Wants respect, control over his life; feels powerless
- Security: Desperate for stability he's never had
- Self-Direction: Fiercely independent; hates being told he's wrong
Moral Politics Frame (Lakoff)
Primary frame: Strict Father (resentful variant)
Expression: Rui believes the world is competitive and you have to fight for your place. He feels he's been fighting alone while others get help. He wants authority that protects people like him—not weak authorities that favor outsiders.
Information Ecosystem
| Source Type | Specific Sources | Trust Level |
|---|---|---|
| TV | CMTV, some SIC | Medium |
| Online | YouTube (Chega, commentary), Facebook | High (selective) |
| Social Media | YouTube, Facebook, some TikTok | High |
| None | N/A | |
| Community | Other delivery drivers, online communities | Medium-High |
Media consumption pattern: Heavy YouTube—starts with Chega content, algorithm serves similar. Facebook for arguments and validation. Gets news through social media feeds. Mistrusts mainstream media—"they don't tell the truth."
Political Profile
Voting History
| Election | Vote | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Legislative | Chega | "Finally someone who says what I think" |
| 2022 Legislative | Abstained | "No point" |
| 2021 Presidential | Abstained | "Didn't care" |
| Historical pattern | Abstainer until Chega activated |
Political Identity
- Left-Right self-placement: 8/10 (right, anti-establishment)
- Party identification: Strong Chega identification
- Political engagement: Moderate—votes, shares content, debates online
2026 Presidential Inclination
- Current leaning: Ventura (strong)
- Certainty: Certain
- Key deciding factors: Anti-establishment, immigration, speaks for "forgotten" Portuguese
Top Concerns (Ranked)
- Immigration: "They arrive, get papers, take jobs, while I was born here and have nothing."
- Economic unfairness: "The game is rigged. Work 50 hours and stay poor."
- Corruption: "They're all stealing. At least Ventura calls them out."
- Precarious work: "No contract, no rights, no future. Just ride and deliver until I can't."
- Respect: "Nobody respects workers like me. We're invisible."
Hopes
For himself:
"I want a real job. Not gig work—a job with a contract, benefits, vacation. Something I can build on. And to see my son more."
For Portugal:
"I want a Portugal that puts Portuguese first. Where being born here means something. Where hard work actually leads somewhere."
For his son:
"I don't want him to end up like me. I want him to have opportunities I didn't have. A fair shot."
Fears
Personal fears:
"Being 50 and still doing this. My body giving out. Becoming homeless. Losing connection with my son."
Fears for Portugal:
"That we become strangers in our own country. That there's nothing left for people like me. That nobody ever fights for us."
Deepest fear (often unspoken):
"That maybe I'm the problem. That I failed, and blaming others is easier than admitting it. But I can't afford to think that way."
"In Their Own Voice"
How he'd describe Portugal today:
"A country that forgot its own people. I watch immigrants arrive, get housing assistance, get jobs. I was born here, worked since 16, and I have nothing. I'm not racist—I'm realistic. There's only so much to go around, and we're at the back of the line in our own country."
What he'd say to someone who disagrees with him politically:
"Easy to be progressive when you've got a good job and an apartment. Try living like me. Try competing for gig work with people who'll work for less because they share a room with six others. Then lecture me about solidarity."
His message to politicians:
"You've ignored us for 20 years. Fine. But now there are millions of us. We're not going away. Either address our concerns or we'll keep voting for the people who do. This is on you."
Scenario Response Predictions
| Candidate | Predicted Response | Key Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Ventura | Strongly Positive | Speaks for him; anti-establishment; immigration stance |
| Gouveia e Melo | Neutral | Not a politician, but not Ventura either |
| Marques Mendes | Negative | Same old establishment |
| Seguro | Strongly Negative | PS caused this; privileged elite |
| Catarina Martins | Strongly Negative | "Defends immigrants over Portuguese" |
| Cotrim Figueiredo | Negative | "For the rich" |
| António Filipe | Mixed | Workers' rights, but associated with failed left |
Notes for Scenario Development
- The radicalization pathway—abstainer to Chega
- Gig economy precarity as daily experience
- Divorced father, limited custody adds emotional weight
- YouTube/social media information environment
- Could interact with: immigrant delivery workers, former abstainer friends, progressives who challenge him
- In "Day in the Future" vignettes: delivery routes through changing neighborhoods, watching son on weekends, online arguments at night