[8] In her teenage years, she accompanied her father to the rallies of the opposition movements Democratic Unity Electoral Commission (CEUD, Comissão Eleitoral de Unidade Democrática) and the Portuguese Democratic Movement/Democratic Electoral Commissions (MDP/CDE, Movimento Democrático Português/Comissões Democráticas Eleitorais) that unsuccessfully ran in the fraudulent 1969 legislative election,[9] amid extensive harassment of opposition candidates and voter manipulation.

After the birth of her daughter in August 1975, she dropped out of law school and quit her job, and focused on working as a translator and interpreter for the press division of the Central Committee of MRPP.

[9][8] Ana Gomes became a career diplomat in 1980 and worked for the department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that dealt with the negotiations for the accession of Portugal to the European Economic Community.

[11] According to ambassador Fernando de Oliveira Neves, as relayed in his work O Negociador (2019), Gomes showed "unusual professionalism" and had an "extraordinary role" in the negotiations, and became a friend of Ali Alatas who came to admire her.

[14] In addition to her committee assignments, Gomes was part of the parliament's delegations to the ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (2004–2009) and for relations with Iraq[15] as well as of the Intergroup on Western Sahara and the Group of Friends European Parliament/East Timor.

She also participated in a number of European Parliament missions to Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chad, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, East Timor, Kosovo, Lebanon, Indonesia (including Aceh), Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Sudan (Darfur), Turkey, USA, etc.

She took part in the following Election Observation Missions (EOM): During her time in the European Parliament, Gomes' main areas of activity were: migration, human rights, security and defence, international relations,[16] gender issues and development.

[17] Gomes faced accusations of antisemitism for inviting anti-Israel speakers to the European Parliament and allegedly referring to Jewish organizations as a "perverse lobby".

[22] Two requests made by the Deputy Attorney General of Portugal in 2014 and 2017 to waive Ana Gomes' parliamentary immunity with respect to criminal proceedings against her in connection with statements made by her in a television debate and in an interview with the Portuguese Journal "Diário de Noticias"[23] whereas the newspaper article indicated that investigations were under way in relation to the Viana shipyards and in this connection Gomes commented that "something was starting to happen with regard to a case of blatant corruption" have both been decided against by the European Parliament.

[24][25] In April 2019 Gomes referred on Twitter to the CEO of Douro Azul, Mário Ferreira, as a "crook" in connection with the shipyard case in Viana do Castelo.

[26][27][28] In January 2024, Gomes faced trial at the Bolhão Court in Porto, in a case involving allegations of aggravated defamation against entrepreneur Mário Ferreira.

The charges stem, once again, from statements made by Gomes X (formerly Twitter) in March 2021, following a report by Expresso detailing Mário Ferreira's investments, including private aviation.

Thanks to Expresso, we discover that the multifaceted shipowner Mário Ferreira is now investing not only in Media Capital/TVI but also in another struggling profit business: private aviation... Will he be flying to Brazil, following the OMNI's footsteps?During the trial, Gomes emphasized that her intention had been solely to highlight the lack of control at national aerodromes, where various irregularities are known to occur, while at the same accusing Mário Ferreira of being a straw man for foreign investors engaged in money laundering.

According to Gomes, the whole affair was brief and there was not even a picture taken of the event ("we did not care for such bourgeois vices"[33]), as the couple were then busy actively engaged with political work with MRPP party as the country was transitioning to democracy.