The Portuguese Communist Party arranged and attended a number of meetings and site visits at the end of last week in Fuseta and Olhão and on the the Algarve’s Ria Formosa islands.
Party organisers were accompanied by MEP João Pimenta Lopes and Algarve MP, Paulo Sá to collect new information on the problems experienced by people living and working in the Ria Formosa area.
The car maker Volkswagen has seen its profits plummet by 20% in the wake of its diesel emissions scandal.
It recorded a pre-tax profit of €3.2 billion in the three months to March but this was down from nearly €4 billion the previous year.
A new driver’s licence system comes into effect on June 1st with all drivers starting off with 12 point in credit.
Points will be deducted for serious driving offences - two points, and very serious offences - four points.
Another major Spanish resort has become fed up with the unseemly antics of tourists.
Mojácar, on the southern Almeria coast, decided to curb what it calls the “vulgarity” so often associated with stag and hen parties, such as blow-up dolls and willies.
Portugal has slipped to 39th position of 61 countries in the latest IMD World Competitiveness Scoreboard with Turkey rising, Spain gaining ground and post bail-out Ireland now in the top ten
Competitiveness is a frequently used word in political speeches, alongside ‘sustainability’ but at least competitiveness can be scored and Portugal had not done well with rising unemployment, a banking system on the edge of madness and poorly performing exports.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Portugal’s president, finished his trip to Germany today and commented to following press that it has all gone awfully well, in fact far better than he expected.
The president said that he is happy with Germany’s understanding of the position Portugal is in and that his meetings with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the German President, Joachim Gauck and the president of the Bundestag, Norbert Lammert left him feeling optimistic.
As the cash registers in Spain are being braced for a record influx of tourists this year, tensions are beginning to be felt in parts of the country.
“Tourists go home” graffiti in Palma de Mallorca has abounded. The island annually hosts million of foreign visitors. Last August saw one day when the population nearly doubled, hitting a record two million.
A project submitted from Portugal is among the finalists in a renewable energy competition run by the European Commission.
Online polling ends on June 5th for the EC’s European Prize for Energy and among the nine finalists chosen is a Portuguese project ‘RESocial Innovation.’
