Thousands of protesters gathered outside Portugal’s parliament in Lisbon yesterday to denounce what Reuters has described as one of the most acute home affordability crises in Europe. Lawmakers are debating the 2027 draft budget while protesters are facing stiff police presence in the streets of the capital. The deepening crisis is because home prices have nearly doubled since 2017. Many citizens simply cannot afford to rent let alone buy homes as wages have not kept up. The housing crisis is particularly acute in the cities, but it is being severely felt in towns across the country. It is currently Portugal’s number one concern that does not look like going away anytime soon. It may, however, be pressing more residents to move abroad.

HOUSING PROTESTS

 

Demonstrations have been taken place and are expected to continue in Lisbon and Porto over the soaring price and availability of housing.

 

Thousands of protesters have been demanding more affordable housing to buy or to rent. Their demonstrations led dozens of police officers to move in with batons or police dogs on Sunday morning and break up tented protest camps in central Lisbon. This resulted in 25 arrests and several injuries.

 

As confrontations with the police turned violent, protesters chanted, “it smells like a dictatorship.”

 

Other major protests are taking place in France, Albania, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Greece and Serbia. 

 

HOUSING PROTESTS

 

 

Demonstrations have been taken place and are expected to continue in Lisbon and Porto over the soaring price and availability of housing.

 

Thousands of protesters have been demanding more affordable housing to buy or to rent. Their demonstrations led dozens of police officers to move in with batons or police dogs on Sunday morning and break up tented protest camps in central Lisbon. This resulted in 25 arrests and several injuries.

 

As confrontations with the police turned violent, protesters chanted, “it smells like a dictatorship.”

 

Other major protests are taking place in France, Albania, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Greece and Serbia.  

 

The Portuguese government has launched

a 35 million euro fast-track fund to encourage more young people into leaving urban areas and going into the countryside to take up farming.

 

Disillusionment with the shortage of well-paid jobs in urban areas and the spiralling costs of living are making farming a more attractive option.

 

The nation’s farming workforce is heavily aging. More than 50% are over the age of 65.  Thus, the increasing need for youthful replacements. 

 

The shortage of quality employment especially in the major cities of Lisbon and Porto are pushing young professionals aged between 18 and 40 back to the countryside.

More are being urged to do likewise as the new emergency fund aims to set up at least 200 new young farmers with a minimum of beau racy and little delay.

 

However, there are serious difficulties. The biggest obstacle for young newcomers is that land prices are extremely high with limited availability.  Farmland in Portugal has always been fragmented compared with more northerly countries in Europe.

 

Funding help for hopeful young farmers is crucial if they are to economically survive on the land.  

PORTUGAL’s TIES WITH THE U.S.

 

Portugal’s strong ties with the United States have been emphasised by yesterday’s visit to Lisbon by the American Secretary of States Marco Rubio.

 

He thanked Portuguese officials for supporting the U.S conflict against Iran by allowing American warplanes to use the strategic airbase in Lajes Field in the mid-Atlantic Portuguese Azores which is ideally located for long-range flight refuelling.

 

Rubio’s European visit started in Iceland.  More importantly in the Greek capital Athens he urged European countries to save Western civilisation by upholding the values and traditions of ancient Greece.  

 

Portugal was the last stop on Rubio’s tour of NATO countries. He described Portugal as “a great ally,” and said he wanted to build ever deeper ties.