WEDNESDAY BRIEFING

Behind this week’s headlines

Revolution celebration

The formal celebration of the 49^th anniversary of the 1974 Carnation Revolution was celebrated on Tuesday with the traditional sitting of the Portuguese parliament. It coincided with a special welcome for Brazil’s president at the last leg of his state visit aimed at further improving relations between Portugal and its former colony. The anniversary was covered on the front pages of all of Portugal’s national newspapers.

Praise and  insults

On his visit to Portugal this week, Brazil’s President Lula da Silva has been highly praised by the speaker of Portugal’s parliament as a defender of democratic institutions. The speaker was furious, however, that members of Portugal far-right Chega party raised protest banners ridiculing Lula during a speech to parliamentarians.

Slavery apology needed

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Tuesday that this country should take responsibility and apologise for its past role in the transatlantic slave trade.  Ihe Reuters news agency pointed out that this is the first time a southern European country has suggested such an apology. Between the 15^th and 19^th century, Portuguese vessels transported six million kidnapped Africans who were then sold into slavery, mainly in Brazil.

Aerospace agreement

A memorandum of understanding was signed on Monday between several Portuguese aerospace companies and Brazil’s Embraer aircraft manufacturer. The partnership deal is expected to strengthen Portugal’s defence technology and to produce aircraft that will meet NATO’ high standards and requirements. 

Cigarette pollution

Climate activists collected about 650,00o cigarette butts and placed them in a huge pile in central Lisbon with the aim of making people more aware of this often overlooked kind of pollution. Cigarette butts are not biodegradable. According to the World Health Organisation, 4.5 trillion cigarette ends are dumped worldwide each year.

Books are selling well

More than 31,000 books wre sold in Portugal each day in the first three month of this year. This is a year-on-year increase of 8.3%, according to APEL, the Portuguese publishers and booksellers association.