The 2019 State Budget is approved with the Algarve's MPs delighted at a last minute change of heart over the age-old question of whether or not to build a new hospital for the region.
The answer now is, ‘yes’ after MPs approved a proposal from the Left Bloc to amend the 2019 State Budget so that the 'procedures' could start for the construction of the Central Hospital of the Algarve.
The EN2 road – the longest road in the country, linking Chaves in the north with Faro in the south – has been named one of the “best places to go in 2019” by American travel guide publisher Frommer’s.
The road, which authorities in Portugal are committed to turning into a tourist attraction, is one of the 19 suggestions made by the travel guide specialists.
Former health minister Ana Jorge has spoken out against the decision by MPs to arbitrarily vote on three new childhood vaccines for inclusion in the national programme.
Choosing her words carefully, Jorge said the development was “in the very least strange”.
It’s the soundbite being promoted today: 2019’s State Budget, finally approved yesterday, will ensure that Portugal clears its bailout debt with the IMF.
Says the tabloid press, it’s a way of camouflaging the ‘failures’ and trying to muffle all the criticism.
Ratings agency Moody’s has given the Portuguese property market its seal of approval this week, suggesting the upward trend for house prices is certain to continue for the next few years.
Portugal is already one of the European countries with the highest rises in property prices, but while the rest of the continent is in for “modest increases” to 2020, Moody’s believes Portugal will be steaming ahead, with values increasing by as much as 7-8%.
The citizenship, and residency-by-investment programmes, commonly known as golden visas, offered by some EU Member States have repeatedly sparked controversy.
Applicants and grantees associated with dubious sources of wealth have made headlines in various countries, and the opacity which characterises many of the schemes has raised concerns over risks of money-laundering and to the security of the EU and its Member States.
China's President Xi Jinping began a three-day visit to Spain on Tuesday and will stop in Portugal on December 4-5 on his way home.
China is looking to strengthen ties within Europe as the trade war with the US looks set to continue.
Portugal is one of the countries where house prices have increased the most in recent years - and it should maintain that status over the next few years, according to Moody's estimates.
The rating agency predicts that the value of residential real estate will increase from 7% to 8% by 2020, and notes that Portugal is one of the countries where prices have risen most in recent years. For European markets, Moody's expects a modest rise over the next two years.
