WEDNESDAY BRIEFING

Behind this week’s headlines

COVID mask use finished

The wearing of COVID facemasks is no longer mandatory in health centres, including hospitals, clinics and homes for the elderly. The end of this necessity came into affect on Tuesday this week with an official announcement from the government.  The wearing of masks came into force in the early days of the pandemic and ended on public transport and community pharmacies last August.  

 

Counterfeit currency

It has just been reported that the Bank of Portugal withdrew more than 10,700 counterfeit euro banknotes with a face value of nearly €470,00o last year. It also withdrew well over 2,000 fake euro coins. These are only tiny fractions of the true money in circulation. Euro banknotes and coins incorporate sophisticated safety features making them among the most difficult currency to counterfeit in the world.

 

‘Typical.’ Scottish visitors

Former leader of the Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell are just "typical Scottish tourists" when they visit their idyllic holiday home in the Algarve, according to neighbours. The couple have spent their summers here for several years, but the villa near Albufeira has been thrust into the media spotlight in recent weeks due to police investigations into the SNP's finances. The two-bedroom property in an exclusive gated complex is co-owned by Mr Murrell and his sister, Lynn. It previously belonged to their parents.

 

Inflation still dropping

Portugal’s finance minister said on Monday that inflation should drop significantly from this month onwards. He anticipated an inflation rate below 5.1% in the second half of this year. The government believes the main risks to the economy are of an external nature, but points to internal forces that could mitigate possible negative impacts.

 

High pollination level

Those with an allergy problem have been warned of the high level of pollination in the air this week. While much pollen is happily spread by insects, birds or mammals, wind and no rain cause sneezing, runny noses and sore throats for a lot oF people. Best advice: stay indoors until late afternoon and keep windows closed.

 

World Youth Day

The mayor of Lisbon has given his assurance that the local authorities will be well prepared for the needs that may arise during the World Youth Day event in August. Pope Francis is scheduled to join tens of thousands of young people from around the world for the celebrations between 1 and 6 August. There will be massive demand for accommodation in the capital’s 2,700 hotels. There is plenty of online information about hotel availability and costs.

The 1974 Revolution: a look back

 Jubilation on revolution day – Getty image.#

So much has changed in Portugal since the revolution 49 years ago, and even the revolution itself will be better understood with a special study to be published as part of next year’s historic 50^th anniversary.

Here we glance at events before and since the coup d'état that have brought about profound political, economic and social changes beyond all possible pre-revolution recognition. The Portuguese now live in a decolonised, democratised and developed nation. Long gone is the African empire that made Portugal a world leader.

The dictatorships of António de Oliveira Salazar (1932 -68) and Marcello Caetano (1968-74), who had insisted on continuing many years of colonial wars in Africa while turning their backs on Europe, are but distant memories. No longer is Portugal going it alone globally.

In a way, the dramatic event in April 1974 was sparked by a book: Portugal and the Future by General António de Spinola, the Portuguese army’s second in command. He strongly criticised the government’s African policies. The book was quickly banned, but for the authoritarian politicians it was too late. Modern times were on their way.

The imperial legacy that eventually emerged some months after the military coup on the morning of April 24 meant a pluralistic liberal democracy and a socialist state. Elected officials, not the armed forces, were to take control.

They did, but there were years of confusion and inept governance involving the far left, far right and centrist parties. The centrist-socialists, who eventually prevailed, are still the main parties today.

Once Portugal had a majority government in the 1980s it was able to forge ahead with focus on economic growth and attracting foreign investment as it was then within the European Economic Community. Major improvements were made to such things as neglected infrastructures, medical facilities and rail networks.

The 1990’s brought a period of declining growth, a slump in foreign investment and a sharp drop in employment. Redundancies and wage freezes were further complicated by tourists spending less money during their visits. Strikes and worse - allegations of political and business corruption – were other serious setbacks.

The political turmoil of the 70s and 80s, together with the economic problems of the 90s, are almost forgotten history. Of course, various problems persist. They always will in Portugal and everywhere else, but the sense of social security and stability is strong, as is the crucial relationship with the European Union.

The journal Lusotopie is asking researchers to contribute to a special 2024 issue on aspects of the revolution that have been understudied. Preparations have already started to produce this 2024 in-depth review. The journal wants abstracts to be submitted for proposed articles by September this year.  The abstracts may be in Portuguese, French or English.

Meanwhile, at least one thing is crystal clear from the pre-revolution era:  Portugal is no longer a war mongering state. It is on good terms with its former colonial territories. Taking its lead from the way members of the public placed carnation flowers in the barrels of soldiers’ guns on the 25^th April, 1974, this is one of the most peaceful nations on the planet.

                           

WEDNESDAY BRIEFING

Behind this week’s headlines

 

Portugal and Ireland

The Portuguese foreign ministry will be expressing firm support for the efforts of President Joe Biden, the European Commission and the British Government to consolidate Northern Ireland’s 25-year-old Good Friday Agreement and restore the power sharing assembly long interrupted by DUP ‘loyalist’ politicians.   

AIr pollution

Concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in Lisbon’s Avenida da Liberdade have  this year remained above the limits determined by European legislation, reports Luca News. Today is marked as Portugal’s National Day of Clean Air. The United Nations International Clean Air Day will be observed around the world on September 7.

Energy dependence

The development of hydrogen and offshore wind power will allow Portugal’s energy dependence to be lowered, the minister for the environment and climate action said with confidence today, Wednesday. The renewable energy association (APREN) released data today that showed that 74% of electricity generated in Portugal in March came from renewables.

Growth and inflation

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday upgraded its forecast for growth in Portugal’s gross domestic product this year to 1.o%, but was more pessimistic about the rate of inflation, which it expects to average 5.8%. The IMF is usually more pessimistic than reality required, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said today, Wednesday. The finance minister has said he expects a significant decrease in the rate of consumer price inflation from next month.

The rich and poor

Almost 60,000 families in Portugal declared a yearly income of €100,000 or more in 2021, 14% higher than in 2020.  Those earning less than €10,000 fell by 10.7% over the same period, according to the income tax authority. Minimum wages increased to €887 a month in the first quarter of 2023.

   

Crucial foreign affairs issues

Portugal continues to keep a close eye on foreign affairs all over the world, even though it has greatly downsized and is now just a small country on the sidelines of major power politics.

Starting from the early 16^th century, Portugal controlled an empire that stretched from Asia across Africa to South America. After granting independence to occupied territories in the 19^th and 20^th centuries, it still has close ties with the lusophone nations.

This past couple of  weeks it has been quietly involved with other foreign relationships of even more critical importance globally. As one of the 12 founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in 1949, Portugal has welcomed Finland as the 31st member. Since Finland showed interest in joining the alliance and formally applied in May last year, Portugal has fully supported it as a way of strengthening NATO and consolidating the European Union. It amounts to a major change in Europe’s security landscape, all the more so as the war in Ukraine shows no sign of abating.

While Portugal is the most distant country from Russia in mainland Europe, Finland shares a 1,340 km border with the Russian Federation. It is roughly four times the size of Portugal with half the population. Finland’s accession to the alliance ended its history of military non-alignment. “A new era has begun,” the Finnish presidency said in a formal statement.

It continued: “Each country maximises its own security. So does Finland. At the same time, NATO membership strengthens our international position and room for manoeuvre. As a partner, we have long participated in NATO activities. In the future, Finland will make a contribution to NATO’s collective deterrence and defence.”

Another Nordic EU nation – Sweden – has applied to join NATO. Its population is almost the same as Portugal’s, yet it has five times the landmass. Nearly all NATO members, including Portugal, would welcome Sweden to the alliance. Hungary and Turkey are the only exceptions and they have been blocking entry. Turkey has taken issue with Sweden’s criticism of Turkey’s Muslim attitude to human rights. Even though Hungary, unlike Turkey, is a member of the EU, it is ruled by the far-right in contrast to Sweden’s government, which is made up of the Moderate Party, the Christian Democrats and the Liberal Party. Hungary’s autocratic president, Viktor Orban, is pro-Putin, contemptuous of EU bureaucrats and firmly opposed to Muslim immigration.

Portugal’s Socialist government wants nothing to do with the far-right, including the Chega party that has been gaining momentum in its own country.

China has become another ever-present danger for the Western world. There have been rising concerns here even though Portugal and China have been on good terms since Portugal’s Age of Discovery. The reasons behind this modern friendship include Portugal’s return of the colony of Macau in 1999 and China’s keenness to expand trade with both Portugal itself and its former colonies. Thousands of wealthy Chinese - more than any other nationality - have invested in luxurious Portuguese property and gained residency here under the Golden Visa scheme.

The concerns now are that China has seriously fallen out with the United States and NATO, while it has close ties with Russia.  President Xi Jinping has recently had cordial talks with Vladimir Putin and, although China may not be directly helping Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, it has certainly not condemned it.

The EU’s President Ursula von der Leyen accompanied France’s President Emmanuel Macron on a visit to Beijing just before Easter to discuss bringing peace to Ukraine as soon as possible. Macron said the West must engage with Beijing to help end the crisis and prevent things spiralling out of control, perhaps even sparking Putin’s threats to go nuclear. That, of course, would push global warming even further into the background.

Brexit has soured relations between the whole of EU bloc, including Portugal despite it sharing the world’s oldest alliance, the Treaty of Windsor, signed in 1386. The EU fallout is crippling Northern Ireland because of a disagreement over the Windsor Framework that replaced Northern Ireland’s devolved government protocol.

At a much happier regional level, Portugal’s Prime Minister Antonio Costa, went to Lanzarote recently to meet with his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sánchez, and preside over the 34th Luso-Spanish summit. The theme was "Portugal and Spain: Europe in the Atlantic". It was regarded as a landmark in bilateral relations. In addition to the meetings to analyse several areas for cooperation, legal agreements on new lines of joint action were signed.

 

WEDNESDAY BRIEFING

Behind the latest headlines

 

Easter disruptions

The Portuguese Foreign Office has warned that travellers arriving in Portugal in the next few days may face delays due to strike action by immigration officers. The strike will last from this Thursday to next Monday. The Foreign Office suggests travellers should “follow the guidelines provided by your airline or operator”.  Luca News is reporting the immigration service has closed about 90% of its offices nationwide today.

Clean energy high

In the first quarter of this year, renewable sources provided 72% of Portugal’s electricity consumption even though the weather conditions were unfavourable in March. Two months earlier, after heavy rains, plus good wind and solar conditions, renewables provided 88% of the nation’s electricity.

Dams up and down

Reservoirs across the country currently average 81% capacity. Some in northern and central areas are virtually full, but some in the south are low, according to official sources. The situation in the Algarve and Alentejo is all the more serious as a very dry summer is anticipated, due largely to global warming.  

Ukrainian Refugees

Portugal’s Immigration aand Border Service (SEF) has announced that 59,000 temporary protection orders have so far been issued to people who have fled from Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion. The number of arrivals has significantly slowed. By the end of March last year the number of Ukrainians here made up the second largest foreign community. It had risen from 27, 200 to 52,00 in just one month.  

International art fair

A total of 84 galleries from 22 countries wiil be taking part in this year’s international contemporary art fair in Lisbon from 25 to 28 May. It will include works from 26 Portuguese galleries.

Julia is not Madeleine

The DNA test results on Julia Wendell have shown that the 21-year-old Polish woman is not Madeleine McCann as she claimed. Julia has returned to her father in Poland from California where she was taken by an American private investigator, Dra Fia Johannson, who also describes herself as a psychic medium.

Feliz Páscoa  - Happy Easter!

The answer is blowin' in the wind

What is the best way forward to reach net zero carbon dioxide emissions in the battle to limit global warming? Now you know the answer - well, one of the most important answers.

Portugal is using wind turbines to eliminate fossil fuels and create electricity to a greater extent than any other efficient method, such as solar or hydro.

Wind technology has a very long history. Windmills were busy grinding wheat in the Mediterranean region many centuries ago. By the mid-1800s to mid-1900s millions of small windmills were used to pump water in the United States. The first large wind machine to generate electricity was installed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1888. Further development of wind generators in the USA was inspired by the design of airplane propellers and monoplane wings. Subsequent efforts in Denmark, France, Germany and the UK showed that large-scale wind turbines could work well to produce energy. The first really large-scale installations came about in California where over 16,000 machines, ranging from 20 to 350 kW (a total of 1.7 GW), were opened between 1981 and 1990. This was a result of incentives given by the USA government.

In northern Europe, wind farm installations increased steadily through the 80s and the 90s with the higher cost of electricity and the excellent available wind resources leading to the creation of a small but stable market. The last twenty years have brought wind energy to the forefront in Europe and all over the world.

Portugal was a relatively late starter, but in 2001 the government launched a programme aimed at promoting a consistent, integrated approach to energy supply and demand. It established its first onshore wind farm in 2016 and since then has rushed ahead with gale-force enthusiasm. By 2020 wind power was a major source of electricity generated in this country. By the end of 2021, it had 265 wind farms and a total of 2,836 turbines meeting 26% of the country’s energy needs.

A pioneering offshore wind farm – WindFloat Atlantic, the world’s first semi-submersable floating wind farm (pictured here) - started adding electricity to the grid in 2020. New high- capacity offshore projects will be commencing this year. 

The government aims to cover 80% of the country’s electricity consumption with renewables by 2030 and to be climate neutral by 2050.

Five years ago the government committed to close all of the country's coal producing facilities by the end of this decade, making it almost completely reliant on renewable energy. Four years ago coal still provided 40% of Portugal's electricity. The two last coal power plants in the country closed in 2021, nearly ten years earlier than initially forecast. The first plant had been responsible for 12% of all greenhouse emissions in Portugal. Its closure meant the biggest decrease in polluting emissions in the country's history. The second plant was the only coal-fired facility functioning until 19 November 2021 when it too was shut down.

It was estimated that around 20,000 jobs would be created until 2030 in the solar-photovoltaic industry alone, with EDP having announced an investment of €24 billion in the renewable industry until 2026, most of it directed at wind, solar and green hydrogen production.

Back in 2017, a drought that severely affected the production of hydro electricity reduced the total from all renewables from 55.5% the previous year to 41.8%. Wind power that year accounted for 21.6% of the total, hydro 5.1%, solar just over 1% and geothermal 0.4%. Wave power made up 24% of the energy produced in the Azores.

While all other renewables are very important, wind remains the major source of electricity in Portugal. Its evolution does indeed provide an answer to this country’s commitment to avoiding a global warming catastrophe.

 

 

WEDNESDAY BRIEFING

Behind the headlines this week

Zero VAT on foodstuffs

In the face of rising inflation and the cost of living, the government is to introduce a list of products that will have zero value added tax. The foods include various fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meats and eggs. The arrangement will run from the end of Easter until November. The standard VAT rate in Portugal is 23%, though only 6% on some foods  and 13% on pharmaceuticals.

Islamic centre killing

Two women were killed and others injured by a man wielding a large knife at the Islamic centre in Lisbon on Tuesday. Police shot and wounded the man when he failed to put down the knife. Now in custody, the attacker is thought to be a refugee from Afghanistan who was receiving help from the Islamic community.

Banking looks stable

The outlook for the Portuguese banking sector is looking stable for the next 12 to 18 months, according to the Moody’s Investors Service. It considers the outlook “globally resilient” in the contest of of the current restrictive monetary policy.

Airlines back on track

Airlines for Europe (A4E) are optimistic that they will achieve pre-COVID levels on the number of flights this summer. This is despite 350 flights and 62,500 passengers being hit by French air traffic strikes and other recent airline staff disputes.

More tourism workers

The ministry of the economy wants to increase the number of people working in the tourism sector by 20%. In a plan announced on Monday, 20 different measures are envisaged, including modernising the network of hotel schools. Improvements in the tourism sector are seen as crucial because it is of such importance to the national economy.

Tanks sent to Ukraine

Three Leopard 2A6 tanks donated by the Portuguese government have arrived in Ukraine.

Germany, Poland, Finland and Spain have also sent Leopard battle tanks to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty against Russia.

Madeleine drama

The young woman who claims she is Madeleine McCann is now demanding medical records from a Polish doctor she claims drugged her with pills as a child.  The Polish parents of Julia Wendell, also known as Jula Faustyna, say she has a mental problem. Dr Fia Johansson, the American private investigator supporting Julia in California, says a Polish lawyer has been contacted and there may be a lawsuit to get to the truth. DNA test results are said to be “imminent”. Meanwhile, it has been reported that the London Metropolitan’s Police’s Operation Grange is to receive more funding from the British home office.