Portugal PM Antonio Costa is in India for a week on a State visit.  Ahead of his arrival, the Prime Minister spoke to the Hindustan Times on a wide range of issues, including the rise of populist forces in Europe and the need to boost economic ties between India and Portugal.

At a time when most of Europe is seeing the emergence of populist right leaders, how do you explain your rise as a socialist leader? Is Europe moving more to the right?

Portugal is a country open to the world, with a cosmopolitan and welcoming society. It is not a coincidence that I am the first Person of Indian Origin to lead a European country.

A large multidisciplinary group from several countries makes annual predictions for 3 or 4 years ahead, almost always with a high success rate.

Let’s have a go up to January 2018 but unlike previous year-end summaries, this year’s has a high level of uncertainty.

The assumption of the American / French democratic model, one vote per adult, assumes that adults are rational in their choices, that politicians are honest and will do what they promise.

THE REAL WORLD IS NOT LIKE THIS. The controlling agencies should use consensual criteria among citizens. But their bosses, chosen by the establishment and given very high wages and advantages, are influenced by the lobbies.

Viewed from this relatively calm corner of the European continent, it seems as though the world is collapsing in an unprecedented period of political turmoil.

On Donald Trump’s election victory, top Portuguese model Sara Sampaio expressed the shock of many when she tweeted: “Brexit and now this! Wow the world has gone bananas.”

Okay, what’s going on is not funny but many people find it hard to get their heads around this combination of confusion and chaos.

ASMAA (Algarve Surf and Marine Activities Association) has announced the launch of its new campaign “Dar Voz ao Povo – Giving Voice to the People”.

With this campaign ASMAA aims to create a platform where the people can voice their human rights infringement concerns.

The campaign starts by focusing on the primary concern areas arising from offshore and onshore oil and gas exploration including the use of hydraulic fracturing and other non-conventional technologies will have on their lives, the environment and local economy.

The referendum of June 23, 2016 regarding Britain’s 'remain in' or 'exit from' the European Union, through its subversive Brexit result - the first major, painful defeat for the under German control European Union of the banks and multinationals - undoubtedly shook the dominant British and European political and economical system, writes economist Karderinis Isidoros.*

The British, taken as a whole, are not the people of a protectorate who might have perhaps a slave mentality. They are the proud people of a great country that in the past has been an empire and today is one of the world's largest economies.

Campaigner, Brian Cave from the 'Votes for Expat Brits' pressure group gives an update on post-Brexit Europe and the progress of the Votes for Life legal challenge by veteran activist Harry Shindler which now is being assessed at the United Nations Commission of Human Rights.

"There are two avenues to explore.

1. Whether to fight the legality of the result or

2. To accept the result and demand that the British Government achieves protection of the way of life of British Citizens in the EU after Brexit.

The British Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, with its mission to promote bilateral trade and business opportunities between Portugal and the UK by assisting companies engaged in bilateral trade, has issued the following statements concerning the recent Referendum result.

"The soundings that we and other British Chambers of Commerce conducted prior to referendum was that there was a strong preference for Britain to remain within the EU. However the British electorate has made their decision and we must move on even though many of our members may not agree with the choice the British voters have made.