Welcome to the Week em Breve, a wrap-up of important Portuguese news to keep you up to date and in the know.
Portugal hit by two-day strike
Schools, hospitals, flights, and government offices were all affected when more than three million workers went on strike last Thursday, according to figures from the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores Portugueses, CGTP), Euronews reports.
The strike was called against the government’s proposed labor reforms, which unions argue would reduce protections and benefits for workers.
Thursday’s action was the first general strike by Portugal’s two main unions in more than a decade, and saw participation rates above 90% in hospitals, with more than 85% of schools closed, and a significant impact on local, national, and international transport.
On Friday, the strike continued for a second day, with 75% participation in general education and 90% at universities, according to a union source, the Portugal News reports.
The government tried to downplay the strikes, calling them “insignificant,” but union officials hit back.
Jaime Santos, president of the Independent Union of Public and Social Support Workers (SITOPAS), told Lusa in a statement: “Contrary to what the Government said, [Thursday’s strike] had a large turnout. You only had to walk down the street to see that.”
Judging from photos by Cris Ramos (first three) and S. Awry (the following four as well as the cover image), the turnout was substantial:
Prime Minister calls for €1,600 minimum wage
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said Portugal should aim for a €1,600 minimum wage, considerably more than the current target of €1,100, Público reports.
Other politicians said this was a transparent attempt to deflate the general strike, which went ahead on Dec. 11, while the CGTP union described the statement as desperate and insulting.
“The juggling of words and numbers performed by the Prime Minister is an insult to the more than 2.5 million workers who have a gross monthly base salary of less than €1,000,” the CGTP said in a press release, according to Público.
Portugal declared “economy of the year”
Portugal topped The Economist’s annual rankings, making it the “best” economy of the year among “36 mostly rich countries.”
The rankings are based on five indicators: inflation, inflation breadth, GDP, jobs and stock market performance, the magazine explains.
Portugal claimed the number-one spot by combining strong GDP growth, low inflation, and a buoyant stock market, according to The Economist.
This was helped by booming tourism and “plenty of rich foreigners… moving to the country to take advantage of low tax rates,” according to the magazine.
Portugal was followed by Ireland, Israel, Colombia, and Spain — the latter two tying for fourth place.
Ryanair loses challenge against TAP’s restructuring budget
Ryanair has lost a legal challenge against the European Commission over the latter’s approval of €2.55 billion in restructuring aid Portugal provided to national airline TAP, Reuters reports.
The decision was made by the European General Court, the second-highest court in Europe, according to the publication.
This was one of around two dozen lawsuits that Ryanair, the region’s largest budget airline, brought against the European Commission over state aid to airlines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ryanair claims that this aid gave carriers an unfair advantage, Reuters writes.
Golden visa holders lobby constitutional court over nationality law
A group of American golden visa investors have submitted an “Amicus Curiae” to Portugal’s Constitutional Court over proposed changes to the Nationality Law, Portugal Resident reports.
The 15-strong group argues that the changes, which include raising the residency time needed for citizenship to 10 years, “betray” the trust they put in the country when they invested in their golden visas.
“There is a significant change in the rules, extending time limits, and implying new burdens, betraying our trust in the word and good faith of the (Portuguese) state,” the legal text reads, according to Portugal Resident.
