NEW TROUBLES LOOM FOR PORTUGAL AND THE EU

Portugal and other EU countries are now quietly but increasingly concerned about the prospect of Donald Trump returning as president of the United States and “tearing Europe apart.”

Portugal has always fully endorsed the US and European countries  giving large quantities of weapons to Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s occupation.

Portugal has always fully supported the European Union, and also the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), of which it was a founding member.

Donald Trump says he intends to immediately end the war in Ukraine and give Russia victory by stopping support for Ukraine. He has shown little interest in continuing America’s close bonds with the European Union, or with continuing ties with NATO.

The other main worries for Portugal and the rest of Europe are that the US will side firmly with Israel rather than a two-state solution with Palestine. Furthermore, there could be complications in the billions of dollars/euros cross-Atlantic trade relations, and efforts to counter the climate crisis.

The good news in recent days has been that representatives from Portugal and 50 other European countries attended a private summit in England in which the newly elected British prime minister vowed to “reset” relations with the EU shattered by Brexit.

Also, the moderate Ursula Von der Leyen has been voted by a substantial majority to serve a second term as president of the EU Commission. The former Portuguese prime minister, Antonio Costa, is now well entrenched as president of the EU Council. And in Portugal, the main opposition centre-left Socialist Party has proposed having negotiations with the new centre-right government “in good faith” about next year’s budget.

However, the Europe being “torn apart” prediction is likely to be of increasing worry for Portugal and the rest of the continent. “This is the moment most of Europe’s leaders hoped they would never see,” reports the much respected American digital news company Politico. “The date is November 7, 2024.”

The Politico report continued: “The former reality TV star’s return to power would not only be the biggest test in transatlantic relations in post-war history, but it could also pose an existential risk to European unity as the tensions over how to work with the world’s most powerful country pull the continent apart”.  

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UK may "soften" EU relationship

Keir Stamer, UK's new prime minister

The United Kingdom’s soured relationship with the European Union since the Brexit referendum eight years ago could improve somewhat with Britain’s new Labour government led by Sir Keir Starmer. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the EU’s current relationship with its closest partner, the United States, in the lead up to its November election. 

 

The EU hardly got a mention from either the centre-left Labour or right-wing Conservative parties during the run-up to the British election, which gave Labour a landslide victory. The Conservatives, who had been in power for 14 years, fully endorsed the outcome of the Brexit referendum, which resulted in just short of 52% of voters choosing “leave”. Many do not regret that result even though it bitterly divided the nation, and has led to a serious economic downturn.

 

Portugal, historically the UK’s oldest ally, is an unequivocal supporter of the EU and was shocked by Brexit. While Britain’s Labour Party opposed Brexit, it agreed to “uphold the wishes of the British people.” 

 

Labour avoided the subject during this year’s election campaign and manifesto for fear of upsetting disaffected Conservative pro-Brexiteers they wanted to swing their way. However, Starmer has said that under his leadership he will not try to fully rejoin the EU, but will seek to soften the unpleasant relationship that has developed. 

 

This is viewed as of special importance to the EU as the bloc is still the UK’s largest trading partner. There are common problems too, such as tackling the high rate of illegal immigration. 

 

The EU may not maintain its close partnership with the United States unless Joe Biden steps down and is replaced by a much more competent Democratic Party presidential candidate for the November election. His age and recent follies make him much less likely to win the presidential race against Donald Trump. A return to the White House by Trump is widely predicted to be disastrous, not only for the EU but much of the whole world due to his attitude to such things as NATO, the war in Ukraine and the existential global warming crisis.

 

EX-prime minister Costa now a European president in Brussels

 

Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has been formally appointed to take on the second highest job in the European Union, that of President of the European Council. Ursula Von der Leyen has been reinstated for a second term as President of the European Commission.

 

The nominations were approved at a special summit on Thursday by the chancellor of Germany, the president of France and the prime ministers of Greece, Poland the Netherlands and Spain.

 

The outcome had been widely predicted, though Costa’s forced resignation as prime minister last December raised eyebrows.

 

A lesser-known politician, Estonia’s Kaja Kallas , is to lead the bloc’s foreign policy service. These three key officials are expected to serve for the next five years.

 

The main critic since the first hint of confirmation on Tuesday has been Hungary’s Viktor Orban who believes the results have been hatched by the European People’s Party, with leftists and liberals. This runs counter to everything the EU was based on, says Orban. He insists that the top officials should represent every member state including his own, which is led by right-wing nationalists.

 

 

The main challenges facing the top three leaders and their advisers are expected to be political turmoil at home, and the prospect of a highly divisive President Donald Trump abroad.

 

Von der Leyen is a German conservative Her second term in the number one position places her in charge of the bloc’s executive branch. Costa, until recently leader of Portugal’s Socialist Party, will now be at the helm of the authority which includes the heads of government of the EU’s 27 member states. The two top leaders are generally seen as an appropriate balance in terms of their political and geographical backgrounds.

 

A significant contribution to Costa’s success in his bid for the Brussels job was the unequivocal backing he received from Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, despite the fact that Montenegro heads the centre-right coalition that has long rivalled the centre-left Socialists in Portugal’s national elections.

 

Costa made many key allies when he attended an EU summit in Brussels in January. Yet just a month earlier he stepped down as Portugal’s leader when investigations got underway into alleged irregularities in his government’s handling of several large investment projects. Costa denied any wrong-doing and was never charged.  However, several of his close associates remain under investigation

 

Costa, 62, is believed to have all the right credentials for Brussels, including that of a moderate profile combing socialist democratic values with an orthodox approach to the economy. It is also seen as a “pragmatic negotiator.” His career so far has included working as a lawyer, mayor of Lisbon, and prime minister from 2015 to 2023.

British troops help troubled Irish homeowner in the Algarve

Orla Dargan

 

An Irish woman with a home in the Algarve is still the victim of a nasty land dispute, but she is now getting help from British veteran paramilitary soldiers and the British Foreign Office to sort out an ongoing

water supply problem.

 

The original land dispute was so aggressive that Irish born and bred Orla Dargan feared for her life, and went into hiding from the person allegedly trying to grab her land.

 

Her many problems associated with the dispute are now focused on water, which she says the Faro municipal council ordered to be cut off by the local water company, Fagar, in September 2022.

 

“They even removed the water meter. I still have no water, and I am not sure why, despite the fact that in February this year I was officially permitted to finish the building project I had long started on my home, and had paid an extra €2,800 to extend the building licence.

 

“I had legal permission to finish my building, so I wrote to the municipality authority at the beginning of June asking them to reinstate the water. Nothing happened! When my architect called them, they said they were very busy! The elite British ex-soldiers now staying in my home are having to collect water from a public well in the town.” 

 

Ms Dargan continued: “One of the soldiers, Capt G, contacted the British Embassy. He spoke to the local British Consul who then called the Fagan Water Company.

Had this not happened, I am not sure how long it would have taken. I have heard it can sometimes take two years. Most civilised countries would treat the supply of water as a matter of urgency. It's a basic human right in the UN Charter of Human Rights. 

“In the meantime, I am not only very stressed, but all my beautiful plants have either died or I have had to give them away.” 

 

Ms Dargan bought her home in the foothills behind Faro after retiring  as a city investment banker in London. Her father was the CEO and chairman of the Ireland-based Aer Lingus international airline. He also served as the chairman of the world’s biggest building material manufacturer and distributor.

 

“It really is quite bizarre that an Irish woman is being assisted by top British retired troops and the British Embassy.”

That said, she had to be security-cleared in the UK back in the days when she was doing audit work related to Challenger Tanks. She also sat for five years on the council of the British Board of Agreement, the body that organised construction materials in the UK. At that time she was the head of corporate development at Hepworth Plc., a major UK construction materials group.

 

Given her distinguished career, it is not surprising that Ms Dagan finds “the whole thing with my Algarve home very odd and, very sad. But I am not alone. Other foreign homeowners are having dreadful problems too.”

 

Former Portuguese PM heads for top European Union job in Brussels

The Portuguese government and Prime Minister Luis Montenegro’s Democratic Alliance party have fully endorsed the bid by former Prime Minister António Costa to become the next president of the European Council.

Costa is the favourite for the job as his nomination is also receiving so much support from leaders in other EU countries, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and even Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban.

Costa made many key allies when he attended an EU summit in Brussels last December. Yet just a month earlier, he had been obliged to step down as Portugal’s prime minister and head of the Socialist Party (PS) as investigations got underway into alleged irregularities in his government’s handling of several large investment projects. Costa denied any wrong-doing and was never charged.

He is expected to soon replace the current European Council chief, Charles Michel of Belgium, who, has served as the top official responsible since 2019 for organising summits at which the agendas are set for the 27 member states. Costa is said to have all the right credentials, including that of a “pragmatic negotiator,” for the task he is hoping to achieve.

Portugal’s two centrist parties have been rivals since the Carnation Revolution in 1974. Yet Luis Montenegro of the centre-right told a press conference after an informal meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on June 17, that acceptance of Costa of the centre left as president of the Council would garner Portugal’s “unequivocal support.”

Montenegro went on to say: “I can also claim following from what I said to my colleagues from the European People’s Party that this nomination meets all the requirements to be accepted and validated in a final decision.”

António Costa, 62, worked as a lawyer before becoming a member of the Portuguese parliament in 1991. His many positions since then have included mayor of Lisbon, elected in 2007, 2009, and 2013. He was  a minister of the European Committee of the Regions from 2010 to2015, adding to his considerable experience with the European Parliament and Council, before serving as  prime minister from 2015 to 2024.

Costa clearly has a long and probably very successful political career ahead of him.

EUROPEAN ELECTION RESULTS

 

The results of the four-day EU Parliamentary elections across all 27 member states show an overall majority for the centrist parties, despite the predicted surge from the far-right groups. 

The 720 seats in parliament for the next five years will primarily consist of centre-right candidates with 186 seats, and an alliance of socialists and democrats holding 137.

The parliament will be fragmented in that the centrists do not always agree on all matters, and the far-right populists are very much divided in opinions between different countries.

It was a fair election with about 630 million eligible voters. The number of candidates was allocated according to each country’s population.

Portugal has elected its 21 parliamentarians to serve in Brussels The socialist group did best with eight seats, and the centre-right have seven.  The Left , Renew Europe, and the Identify and Democracy groups each have two. Portugal’s far-right missed out altogether. This has been the ninth EU election held in Portugal

Among the exit poll highlights:

The European People’s Party won 186 seats, a gain of 10 over the last parliament.

Socialist groups won 133, down six.

Renew Europe liberals, won 82, down 20.

ECR conservatives and reformists, won 70 seats, up one.

The far-right did especially well in Italy where Prime Minister Giorgie Meloni won a strong majority that boosts her leadership both at home and in Europe.

Marine Le Pen’s National Rally in France produced a historic win. It has caused President Emmanuel Macron to suddenly and surprisingly dissolve the French parliament and call a snap national election.

In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said his country is a beacon of hope for Europe as his centrist pro-Europe Civic Coalition did well in the EU elections.

In Spain, the Socialist Workers Party is vying for first place with the conservative People’s Party. The hard-right is in third place.

 

This summary has been corrected since the exit polls on Sunday night

CUTTING NON-EU IMMIGRATION

Portugal’s new government has announced a plan to restrict immigration for non-European Union citizens. Until now, under previous Socialist administrations, the arrangements have been very open.

The announcement came just days before the European Union elections in which immigration will be one of the hottest topics across all 27-member states.

Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro aims to put an end to a liberal arrangement whereby immigrants could move into Portugal without an employment contract and only request a residency permit after a year of social security payments. The change will mean that non-EU citizens will no longer be allowed to “abuse” the system. They will need an employment contract to stay here.

The foreign population in Portugal has doubled in the last five years. A million or so people from abroad – roughly a tenth of Portugal’s total population – are now living in this country. Last year, 189,000 immigrants were legally accepted. Many Asian immigrants have found jobs on farms or in restaurants. Around 400,000 immigrant applications are currently pending, according to Montenegro.

“We need people in Portugal willing to help us build a fairer and more prosperous society,” he said this week. “But we cannot go to the other extreme and have wide-open doors.”

Entry of qualified professionals, students, people from Portuguese-speaking countries, and people seeking family reunions will be prioritised.

The move by Montenegro’s centre-right government is still too weak, according to the far-right Chega (Enough) party. Its founder and leader, Andre Ventura, has expressed strong opposition to the presence of non-EU immigrants, particularly from Islamic countries. Similar attitudes are shared by far-right parties across the continent, especially in Germany, where immigrants used to be welcomed before the height of the immigration crisis triggered by Syria’s civil war in 2015, and Italy, which has become the favoured entry point for immigrants illegally crossing the Mediterranean Sea.

The EU has already approved a pact that will see hardened borders and shared responsibilities among member states. EU economy ministers officially signed the landmark Migration and Asylum pact last month. It ended eight years of work to rewrite the rule book for people entering Europe without authorisation. The majority of members backed the 10 pieces of legislation in the agreement. Hungary and Poland opposed it as they have long rejected the idea that all European countries should take in a share of arriving immigrants.

The new rules will only come into effect in 2026. They lay out the process for screening people to establish whether they qualify for some kind of asylum protection, or should be deported.

 

We will up-date readers about the elections over the weekend.

Tightening ties within Europe

Portuguese prime minister and Ukraine president in Lisbon

 

With campaigning at its height  for the European Parliamentary elections, the ferocity of Russian attacks on Ukraine has intensified, and allied intelligence officials are now tracking an increase in Russian low-level sabotage operations in Europe.

The Russian operations could involve fake polls and propaganda fraud. The sabotaging is part of an effort to undermine support for Ukraine, according to intelligence sources. The operations have also involved arson or attempted arson attacks on a wide range of targets, including a warehouse in England, a paint factory in Poland, homes in Latvia, and an IKEA store in Lithuania. So far, no such damage has been reported in Portugal.

Portugal’s Prime Minister, Luis Montenegro, has been  to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. It was a very cordial meeting.

“We’re both committed to making Portuguese-German relations more intense,” said Mr Montenegro.

“We stand close to many of the challenges posed to Europe,” he said, and went on to praise the support Germany has been giving to Ukraine to defend itself against the Russian invasion.

He added that the Portuguese government was working to reach the “audacious” 2% budget target for defence expenditure as agreed with NATO. “Our commitment to NATO is full. From this perspective, we understand that words alone are not enough. This commitment must be materialised in action.”

The German chancellor said that Portugal had been “a reliable ally” and “a good friend for the European Union.” At the end of the meeting it was announced that there would be boosts to the cultural, economic, and political  relations between the two countries.

Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, paid a six-hour working visit to Portugal on Tuesday. It was described as “part of a shared intention to deepen the excellent relations between the two states, with a particular focus on strengthening cooperation in the field of security and defence.” Advance voting for the European Parliamentary elections has just begun (Wednesday May 29). Voting at polling stations will take place between June 6 and 9. Polling stations in Portugal will be open on the last day, the 9^th. The overall turnout for the last EU parliamentary election in 2019 was low: 40.8%. A survey published earlier this year predicted the turnout this time would be significantly higher.

Young people, including first time voters, are being strongly urged to take part. The total number of people casting their ballots in the 27 member states for 720 parliamentary seats could be in excess of 373 million.

More publicity than ever is being given to the prospects of the far-right winning a majority of seats in this election. The populist parties have strong support in Austria, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, and Portugal. However, the far-right remains divided, which may mean relative weakness in Strasbourg and Brussels. The centrists may well prevail.

As we reported recently, to be eligible to vote in Portugal, you need to be over the age of 18 and fit into one of four categories:

+  Portuguese citizens registered on the electoral roll of the national territory.

+  Portuguese citizens residing abroad who have not chosen to vote in another EU country.

+  Citizens of other EU countries registered in Portugal who choose to vote for Portuguese members of the European Parliament.

+  Brazilian citizens with a citizen’s card or identity card with equal political rights.

Polling stations will be in municipal council offices or at locations posted on notices in local council offices on voting day.

EUROPEAN ELECTIONS IN JUNE : WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Ursula von der Leyen

The incumber of centrist parties are expected to keep control of the European Union parliament in the June6-9 elections despite a big swing to the far-right.

Ursula von der Leyen, the born-in-Brussels EU commissioner, has declared: “I am ready to keep serving our people and our continent with the passion, confidence and experience needed in these challenging times. I want to build a majority for a strong Europe, because we don’t have the luxury to be weak in the world. Let’s do it together. Let’s stand for democracy prosperity, and security. Let’s fight for our Europe.”

The elections will take place June 6-9 to choose 720 representatives for the parliament in Strasbourg. In Portugal, the election will be on June 9 to choose 21 parliamentarians. Because of their larger populations, eight of the 28 EU countries have more seats in the assembly. Germany tops the list with 96 seats. France has 81.The three smallest nations have only six each.

All of Portugal’s candidates have already been presented by their political parties or coalitions. They were required to be Portuguese citizens, Brazilians with an equal status of political rights, or citizens of other EU countries registered in Portugal. The full list is published (in Portuguese) on the website of the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It will also be published on June 9 in notices outside and inside the polling stations.

To be eligible to vote you need to be over the age of 18 and fit into one of four categories:

+  Portuguese citizens registered on the electoral roll of the national territory.

+  Portuguese citizens residing abroad who have not chosen to vote in another EU country.

+  Citizens of other EU countries registered in Portugal who choose to vote for Portuguese members of the European Parliament.

+  Brazilian citizens with a citizen’s card or identity card with equal political rights.

 Polling stations will be in municipal council offices or at locations posted on notices in local council offices on voting day.

The biggest change within the EU in the coming elections is a strong shift to far-right populist parties. This will of course be to the detriment of the so-called “super grand coalition” of three centrist groups. A populist coalition of Christian Democrats, conservatives and radical right MEPs might even emerge for the first time as a majority.

The far-right Chega (Enough) party did remarkably well in finishing third in this year’s general election in Portugal .Other far-right parties are doing much better in other EU countries. The shift could be so significant that it impacts  the ability of the European Commissions and Council to make foreign policy decisions, including implementing the next phase of the European Green Deal.

Of huge importance over the next five years of the next EU Parliament’s rule will be maintaining the continent’s defence security in view of the war in Ukraine and uncertainty over the continuing allegiance of the United States.

Make no mistake, these are massively important election coming up.

 

Portugal standing by Ukraine

Peaceful Portugal remains a firm ally of Ukraine, which is now under increasing bombardments, with fears of eventual defeat by Russia

Russia’s advances have intensified so much recently that there are worsening worries in the Western world about Ukraine’s prospects for survival as a sovereign nation.

President Vladimir Putin has been visiting his “friend” Chairman Xi Jinping in China while Russia’s latest electronic warfare techniques have been weakening Ukraine’s air defences provided by the United States and NATO.

Portugal has long been an adherent member of both the European Union and NATO. There has always been a basic agreement on foreign policy between the two main political parties, the centre-right Democratic Alliance and the centre-left Socialist Party, both of which have been running the country alternatively since soon after the Carnation Revolution in 1975.

The foreign policy consensus is as strong as ever, grounded on its European integration alongside its trans-Atlantic solidarity. “Portugal’s European integration is the cornerstone of democratic consolidation, and democracy is the source of legitimacy for Portugal’s accession to the EU,” said Nuno Severiano  Texeira , director of the Portuguese Institute of Foreign Relations, and former defence minister between 2005 and 2009. Only the Communists with little says  in the Portuguese Assembly regard what is going on in Ukraine as merely a “civil war.”

Domestic issues prevail, and so Portugal has only been able to help Ukraine’s war effort financially in a modest way. In terms of military assistance, Portugal has only allocated €70 million. However, Portuga’s military assistance has been noticeable in NATO front-line countries, particularly Romania and the Baltic states

While located on the far west of continental Europe, Portugal is well aware of concerns that should Russia take over Ukraine its aggression may move westward. This could be encouraged should the United States downgrade its economic and military assistance to Ukraine, or no longer be relied upon to support NATO. These are strong  possibilities if Donald Trump is returned to the White House in November’s presidential election

That aside, Daniel Marcos, professor at the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences at the new university in Lisbon, is  quoted by Joao Ruela Ribeiro in the “Eastern Europe bi-monthly magazine as saying: “Since the beginning of the Russian aggression , Portugal, following the tradition of transatlantic and European solidarity, has been on Ukraine’s side. First of all by condemning the external aggression which threatened Ukraine’s sovereignty , and secondly by giving its allies who border Russia  assurances that Portugal will be as assertive as possible regarding the security of NATO and EU territory.”

The Eastern European, which is widely read in central as well as eastern EU countries, recognises Portugal’s respect for Ukraine’s war efforts.  It notes that Ukraine is a matter of concern within Portuguese society in general, not only among politicians, but even more so than some other EU countries.

Last July, the president of Ukraine and the prime minister of Portugal, adopted a joint declaration reiterating their “unequivocal condemnation of Russia’s war “

Info from UK Embassy in Lisbon

 

The UK Department of Health and Social Care is strongly advising UK nationals in Portugal who hold an S1 and receive UK health care cover, to confirm their contact details with the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). This will ensure that DHSC can provide all S1 holders with important information regarding their coverage and entitlements. The S1 is the form issued by the UK to state pensioners and other groups such as posted workers, when they need to register for healthcare in Portugal.

 

The request comes as DHSC will be undertaking a programme later this year to check whether there have been changes to the personal circumstances of S1 holders. This will ensure that people who are entitled to healthcare and UK benefits continue to receive them but also that DHSC does not keep paying for cover that is no longer necessary, such as when an S1 holder moves back to the UK. On average, this costs the UK taxpayer approximately £5,300 a year. A UK-insured state pensioner living in Portugal will therefore need to ensure they inform the NHSBSA if their circumstances have changed. 

A spokesperson for the Department stated:

 

“S1 holders need to contact the NHS Business Services Authority to confirm their contact details are up-to-date to ensure they don’t face any issues with their health cover and entitlements should we need to contact them.”

 

The message is directed at all S1 holders, who are mainly state pensioners living in Portugal but also include other groups such as posted workers, who register the S1 form with the Portuguese authorities, once they qualify and are resident in the country.

 

All S1 holders should contact NHSBSA and confirm their contact details on s1applications@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. Alternatively they can be contacted by post at Overseas Healthcare Services, NHSBSA, Bridge House, 152 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6SN, UK. Remember to include your full name and date of birth in any correspondence.

 

FATIMA – the fully story

 

Pilgrims from around the world are currently visiting the Sanctuary of Fatima in Portugal for the 106^th anniversary of the first of six reported sightings of apparitions of the Virgin Mary.

You can obtain a completely unbiased account of the complex story of Fatima here: https://www.amazon.com/F%C3%A1tima-Phenomenon-Divine-Grace-Delusion-ebook/dp/B007XC7Q32

A RECORD HOT SUMMER LIKELY

Portugal is bracing itself for possibly the hottest summer ever, while globally, last month was the hottest April on record.  

According to Copernicus, the European Union’s climate monitoring service, April marked the continuation of an unprecedented 11-month streak of record-breaking conditions. Despite what the scientists say, some people argue that extreme weather conditions existed long before humans inhabited the Earth, so they feel there is no need to worry. Many older people tend to ignore the importance of reaching a “net zero” emission balance, and the deadline year of 2030 never mind 2050. They leave this concern to the young who will still be around.

Whether the planet was extremely hot or cold many thousands of years ago is irrelevant to the current concerns about environmental destruction caused by man-made greenhouse gas emissions threatening Portugal and elsewhere this summer

The notion that countries must just socially and economically adapt to extreme climate change is ridiculous. Brazil is one of the countries most affected recently, with major floods engulfing entire cities.

Portugal is as well prepared as possible for more wildfires, droughts and floods, as well as rising sea levels.

Portugal  has achieved a 60% renewable share in electricity generation. It aims to achieve an 80% share within the next two years. This is achievable because Portugal has abandoned the use of coal and is relying increasingly on hydro, wind and solar sources. 

Overall, Portugal has strong policies and targets in place. Although it is doing comparatively well in Europe, critics point out a number of extra measures the government could be taking. Experts want to see more support for low-income households, a faster phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies and improvements in the transport sector.

The major greenhouse gas emitting countries are still not doing nearly enough to address extreme climate challenges; The United States is focused on its November presidential election and providing support for the war in the Middle East. Russia is concentrating on its war in Ukraine. India has become a hub for ‘laundering’ Russian oil.and selling it to the West, thus helping overcome US and European sanctions against Russia. China is steeped in its own conflicts, and its desire to be the number one country in the world. 

All of the superpowers are failing to solve the existential global warming crisis they have largely created.

 

LAND GRABBING IN THE ALGARVE

 

Orla Dargan

An Irish woman is still traumatised and living in hiding because of aggressive intrusions and violent threats, arising from a land dispute – and is just one example of what is being described as criminal land grabbing activities.   

Orla Dargan,65, is daughter of a CEO/chairman of the international Aer Lingus airline, and chairman of CRH plc, the largest global manufacturer and distributor of construction materials. After retiring as a city investment banker in London, Ms Dargan bought a home in the Algarve in 2016 for €180,000, and planned a rebuilding programme costing €600,000. However, her happy life in the small, tranquil town of Santa Barbara de Nexe in the central Algarve was to turn into a nightmare.

On returning from a visit to Ireland in 2021, Ms Dargan found her boundary fence had been broken. Diggers had ploughed in, and waste water had been poured onto her property. A land dispute eventually went to a Faro court where a judge ruled that Ms Dargan rightfully owned her property and there should be no illegal incursions. Ms Dargan  continued to do her best to cope with the aggressive side of the dispute, but ended up fleeing and moving from place to place in Portugal and Spain, hiding in fear of her life.

“Everyone, including my lawyer, still tells me I am at risk, but the authorities in Portugal, including the police, have not been doing anything about it.” As a possible solution to protect her property, she has now invited a number of British army veterans to live there.

Ms Dargan’s is not alone in suffering this sort of intimidation in the Algarve, according to a specialist land investigator, David Mapley, he describes land grabbing, as “an economic war being conducted due to the relative impoverishment of the Portuguese versus the "wealthy" foreigners arriving and driving up local property prices.”

Mr Mapley, who mostly deals with property crimes, says that “too often unsuspecting foreigners are rendered offside in a catastrophic way, spending years, money and stress in order to restore a property status quo.”

This is hardly the happy retirement most people dream of, he says, adding: “The glacial judicial system, indifference of the police, and ineptitude and corruptibility of lawyers, all well recognised by Portuguese, result in a one-sided battle for ‘AlGrab’, where miscreants can pretty much get away with what they want.

“As a result, misrepresentation, fraud, land boundary disputes, land and home theft, or neighbourly intimidation are commonplace.”