Portugal’s
corrupt, tax-evading, money-laundering politicians, administrators
and businesses this week suddenly found themselves in distinguished
international company, ranging from the presidents of Russia, China
and Ukraine and the kings of Saudi Arabia and Morocco, to
international stars of sports and entertainment. All praise to the
hard, honest work done by the International Consortium of
Investigative Journalists in exposing 11.5 million files, 140
politicians from more than 50 countries and offshore companies in 21
tax havens. It may be only a matter of time before it is revealed
that Vladimir Putin, José Sócrates and others have been
taking greed-enhancing drugs.
Terminal
talk
It’s
not only Donald Trump who’s been going round in circles on
abortion. His gaffe that women who undergo an abortion should be
punished was reminiscent of the law of the land in Portugal until
less than a decade ago. Women here faced up to three years in prison,
except in cases of rape or if the health of the mother or foetus was
in danger. Trump quickly changed tack. So did Portugal after a 2007
referendum that overturned staunch pro-life support from the Catholic
Church. Women were given the legal right to an abortion paid for by
the state up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy. Last year, amid cries of
‘shame!’ from women’s rights activists, the Portuguese
parliament introduced fees for abortions and a legal requirement that
women get psychological and social counselling and advice on family
planning before ending a pregnancy. A long gone journalist once
remark: “Curses on the law! Most of my fellow citizens are the
sorry consequences of uncommitted abortions.”
Silence
in Spain
British
expats in Portugal are not allowed to vote in general elections but
that doesn’t stop many of them castigating the Portuguese
government in the local English-language media. Apparently there is a
severe shortage of such people over in Spain. A columnist in last
week’s edition of the Euro Weekly News, Spain’s largest
free local paper that boasts a readership of more than half a million
each week, was moved to write: “I find it quite strange that we
have so little reaction from readers about the current state of the
Spanish government and the fact that it seems impossible for any
party to form a stable relationship. We may not be able to elect the
government but we have elected to live in Spain, and whatever
decision is made over the next few months will have an ongoing effect
on the lives of each and every expatriate living here”. The article
concluded with what sounded like a desperate plea: “It is true that
the individual can’t alter things but surely someone, somewhere
must have an opinion to share with the rest of us on the current
state of the government.” Can anyone this side of the border help
out please?
Historic
news
The
main headlines in Portugal and across much of the Western world in
the first week of April 1949 hailed the founding of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Portugal was one of the 12
original signatories in Washington. President Truman spoke of “a
shield against aggression” that “will protect this area against
war.” So far, so good.... Well not quite.
Wild
art
The
Portuguese street artist Bordalo II has struck again, this time by
upgrading from a huge lynx to a giant wolf. According to Street
Art News, a web magazine with what it calls “obsessive” daily
coverage of everything new in the world of graffiti, Portugal’s
equivalent of Banksy unveiled his latest masterpiece within two days
of scavenging garbage sites and abandoned houses in Fundão,
near Castelo Branco. This came shortly after his 3D depiction of a
lynx in Viseu. It might be tempting but it would be quite wrong for
art connoisseurs to just dismiss Bordalo II’s new work as rubbish.
before.....
.....after
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