Portugal’s Prime Minister, António Costa, says the country needs more immigrants to thwart a predicted demographic breakdown caused by an ever-ageing population.
According to figures from a 2017 study by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation, the country needs a minimum 50,000 foreigners per year to start to restore the balance between the working and non-working sectors of the population.
Hundreds of holiday flights have been cancelled this weekend due to an air traffic controller strike in France.
Airlines have warned that additional flights will be delayed as a result.
Portugal’s President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, had his security detail in full operational mode today when he collapsed after visiting the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus in Braga.
He fainted at 12:48 and swiftly was carried by his entourage to a nearby hotel and then taken by ambulance to Braga Hospital where he was assessed.
Portugal’s Media Regulatory Authority has issued an 'unfavorable' opinion on a Left Bloc proposal to delay TV broadcasts of bullfighting until after the children have gone to bed.
The ERC considers that these transmissions are, "an integral part of the Portuguese cultural heritage," and has opined that they do not affect children.
Train strikes planned for this weekend have been cancelled as the unions and government have reached an accord over single driver trains.
An agreement on railway safety has been signed by the Secretariat of State for Infrastructure and the six Trade Unions involved - FECTRANS-SNTSF, SFRCI, ASCEF, SINAFE, SINFA and SINFB.
Portugal’s debt was €724.3 billion at the end of April, up €4.6 billion on March 2018. This a new high, with public sector debt primarily responsible as a result of issuing more debt through a banking syndicate.
The State’s borrowings were €322.5 billion to which can be added €401.8 billion in private sector borrowings, according to the Bank of Portugal’s latest statistical bulletin.
Doom-laden Secretary of State for Finance, Ricardo Mourinho Felix, warned today that the abolition of Portugal's ISP fuel tax surcharge, "has a significant impact" and that "it will have to be compensated for in some way.”
On Thursday, parliament approved a proposal that should see an end to the fuel tax surcharge (ISP) after further analysis.
The head of Portugal’s northern tourism regional body is being investigated for taking an Algarve holiday, paid for by businessmen who received sponsorship money from public funds.
The president of Turismo do Porto e Norte de Portugal, Melchior Moreira, (pictured below), is suspected of having taken a vacation in the Algarve, courtesy of tourism business leaders who benefited from sponsorship deals.
