THE PASSING OF POPE FRANCIS

Pope Francis on a visit to the Shrine of Fatima

News of the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday has been received with great sadness, grief, and mourning by the predominantly Roman Catholic population in Portugal, as elsewhere.

The “People’s Pope” was 88 years old. He had suffered a health crisis earlier this year and was then hospitalised for five weeks with double pneumonia. His life in recent years held special significance in this country.

Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said on Monday that Francis was “an extraordinary pope who leaves a unique legacy of humanism, empathy, compassion, and a closeness to people.” Following Francis’s teachings and example, he added, would be the best way to honour his memory.

Originally from Argentina, Pope Francis never returned to his home country after his papal inauguration in Rome in 2013, but he made two special visits to Portugal. Perhaps the most notable was when he presided over the World Youth Day celebrations in Lisbon from 1st to 6th August 2023. Hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world attended in a spirit of harmony and joy.

By then, Francis had become known as the “Green Pope” for his concern for the environment. However, the Catholic Church angered many farmers by urging young people to abstain from eating meat for a year to offset global warming emissions.

Francis had difficulty weathering the widespread outrage caused by revelations of child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy during the papacy of his predecessor, Benedict XVI. In a televised interview in Portugal, Francis stated that the Catholic Church had “zero tolerance for abuse,” and that “a priest cannot remain a priest if he is an abuser.” His statements were quietly debated on the sidelines of the Lisbon youth celebrations.

It was during that week-long stay in Portugal that Pope Francis made his second visit to the Fátima Sanctuary, the first having taken place in 2017 for the centenary of the apparitions reported by three young children.

Deep sorrow is currently being felt amid the prayers beside the shrine in front of the Fátima Basilica.

Written by Len Port,

Edited by Catriona Anderson.

WINE EXPORTS EVAPORATE

Americans may have to cut their intake of booze, as all U.S. importers of alcoholic beverages have stopped taking deliveries from Portugal and the rest of the European Union.

This is part of the tariff war started by President Trump, who happens to be a teetotaller. He has created a “terrible problem” for a “gigantic business,” according to a very sobering statement from the President of the Portuguese National Association of Traders and Exporters of Wines and Spirits, Paulo Amorim.

President Trump recently threatened a heavy tariff on all forms of heady hooch, but his policy direction remains erratic, often subject to sudden reversals. 

The American booze ban follows the Trump administration’s decision to impose 20% tariffs on all popular inebriants. It also seems to have something to do with a proposed E.U. 50% tariff on bourbon, which, for those not familiar with it, is a strong American whiskey.

Last year, Portugal exported over €100 million worth of wine to the U.S., while the E.U. as a whole exported €4.8 billion. Now, with hopes of surpassing €5 billion in exports this year, the E.U. is expected to lose €100 million per week.

It is said that there is no other market in the short or medium term that can fully absorb those who have never suffered the hangovers of too much—such as American whiskey.

The loss of exports to the U.S., which has previously accounted for 28% of E.U. wine shipments, is significant. Alternatives being explored include increasing wine exports to Canada, Mexico, Japan, and China.

Actually, it is all so complex and unpredictable that you might need a glass of wine or a wee dram of whisky to keep up with what’s going on with subjects such as duty-free allowances for travellers. Who knows in this fast-changing world, but you can probably still enter the E.U. with duty-free allowances of one litre of spirits or two litres of other alcoholic drinks.

Written by Len Port

Edited by Catriona Anderson.

DEFIANT EUROPEAN UNITY

Portugal is in close harmony with the rest of the European Union about the three major global concerns - Trump’s tariffs, Israel’s killing of aid workers, and Putin’s relentless war in Ukraine.

 

After the European Union, the United States has long been Portugal’s largest market for goods and services, with exports growing by around 10% annually. Last year, the U.S. imported €5.76 billion worth of Portuguese products, including pharmaceuticals, mineral fuels, oils, electronic equipment, and clothes. The Douro region in the northwest of the country has been exporting plenty of its quality wine to American consumers.

 

The present worry is that this may all dramatically change for the worse as a result of Trump’s astonishing announcement of tariffs on countries around the world.

 

On Monday this week, Portugal’s finance minister said he expected the E.U. to respond to the tariffs in “a measured and balanced manner,” showing “willingness to negotiate” with the United States. On Tuesday, Portuguese government officials discussed the situation with business leaders. On Wednesday—the day Trump’s tariffs were supposed to came into force across Europe and dozens of .other countries—E.U. leaders concluded a three-day meeting in Brussels, agreeing to launch countermeasures next week. In doing so, the E.U. would join China and Canada in retaliating and escalating a global trade war.

 

Speaking on behalf of Portugal and the rest of the 27 members of the E.U., European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this week offered the U.S. a “zero for zero” tariffs scheme on industrial goods in the hope of avoiding a devastating tit-for-tat trade war between the two continents.

 

Trump is so unpredictable that things could suddenly change – and on Wednesday evening they did. He announced a turnaround by suspending tariffs on the E.U. and most other nations except China for 90 days. Meanwhile, more confusion and more discussions are inevitable.

 

Regarding Israel’s lies and excuses about the brutal killing and burial of 15 medical aid workers on duty in southern Gaza last week, Portugal expressed deep shock, as did U.N. humanitarians. The truth was revealed to the world by top media reality checks. Portugal continues its long-standing condemnation of Israel’s brutal treatment of Palestinians, especially women and children. Israeli forces have killed more than 400 aid workers since October 2022.

 

The United Nations Secretary-General, former Portuguese Prime Minister António Guterres, this week condemned Israel’s continuing blockade of aid to Gaza, saying it had “opened the floodgates of horror.” No food, fuel or medicine has entered Gaza in more than a month, he said.

 

Along with nearly all other European Union countries, as well as the United Kingdom, Portugal remains firmly supportive of Ukraine's right to peaceful independence and is firmly opposed to Russia’s ongoing bombardments in a war that Trump bragged he would end within a day of his re-election.

 

Written by Len Port

Edited by Catriona Anderson.

 

 

TRUMP'S TARIFFS "NOT LOGICAL."

President Donald Trump’s extraordinary announcement on tariffs placed on goods entering the United States has been deeply criticised in Europe and described, among other things, as “a major blow to the world economy.”

The European Union now faces 20% tariffs on all goods the USA imports from it. As a long-time ally and trading partner, the EU was the largest single market for goods exported from the US last year. Based on statistics from the US Census Bureau, the EU was a larger market than those of America’s neighbours, Canada and Mexico.

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, responded to Wednesday’s shock announcement from the White House by saying that the EU is preparing “resolute countermeasures.” Meanwhile, she urged Washington to cancel the unilateral tariff measures.

She said in a televised address: “So many Europeans feel utterly disheartened by the announcement from the United States. Let me be clear: Europe did not start this confrontation. We think it is wrong, but my message to you today is that we have everything we need to protect our people and our prosperity. We have the largest market in the world, we have the strength to negotiate, we have the power to push back. Europe holds a lot of cards, from trade to technology to the size of our market, but this is built on our ability to take countermeasures if necessary. All instruments are on the table. Europe has not started this confrontation. We do not necessarily want to retaliate, but if necessary, we have a strong plan to retaliate, and we will use it.”

Trump’s reasoning behind his new global tariffs is that the United States has been “ripped off” by its trading partners for decades. He went further: “For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped, and plundered by nations near and far, by friend and foe alike.” Trump assured his supporters that this would no longer happen.

China reacted furiously to the news that its tariffs would rise to a record high of 54%, vowing to retaliate. China’s Ministry of Commerce declared in a statement on Thursday morning that it "firmly opposes the tariff increase and will resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its rights and interests."

President Trump claimed his measures were “payback for unfair trade policies,” but Ursula von der Leyen’s remark that the new taxes will have “dire consequences for millions of people around the globe” was echoed by many other world leaders. Here are just a few:

Trump’s baseline tariff of 10% has been imposed on the United Kingdom, whose Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, stated that the UK would respond with “cool and calm heads” and pledged “to fight for the best trade deal” with the United States. He added, “Nobody wins in a trade war. That is not in our national interest.”

Japan’s Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba: “The US government’s broad trade restrictions will have a significant impact not only on the economic relationship between Japan and the US but also on the global economy and the multilateral trading system as a whole.”

Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney: “We are going to fight these tariffs with countermeasures, we are going to protect our workers, and we are going to build the strongest economy in the G7.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese: “The tariffs are baseless and contradict the principles of our nations' longstanding relationship. This is not the act of a friend. Today’s decision will add to the uncertainty in the global economy, and it will push up costs for American households.”

Written by Len Port.

Edited by Catriona Anderson.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG AT LAST!

 

The weather keeps us wondering: what’s coming next?

 

The first three weeks of this month made it the wettest March on record in the Algarve. Then, as it so often does, the weather changed dramatically, bringing beautiful blue skies and sunshine in recent days.

 

March’s heavy rainfall significantly raised water levels in the Algarve’s reservoirs, though not as dramatically as elsewhere in Portugal, where some reservoirs reportedly reached 80% capacity, with some even overflowing. 

 

Amid the downpours, Storm Marinho swept in from the Azores Archipelago, bringing winds of up to 159 kilometres per hour (nearly 100 miles per hour). Some large trees and unstable structures were brought down, but according to the National Civil Protection Agency, there was no substantial damage to buildings.  

 

It was only in January last year that the Algarve faced one its most severe droughts in recent years. The government declared a state of alert and adopted a series of measures to curb both farming and domestic water consumption. Extreme or severe droughts occur in Portugal every decade or less. 

 

Spring (Primavera in Portuguese) officially starts on 21 March. So, what will the weather be like this year until the arrival of summer on 21 June? In Portugal, the average temperature ranges from 11 C (52F) to 22C (72F) at this time of the year.  Spring in the Algarve is comfortably warm and bright, with just occasional showers in April and May. 

 

Summer, on the other hand, is a different story. While visitors from the north usually welcome June's warmth, July and August have been sizzling hot in recent years – likely a consequence of the Global Warming crisis. There is little reason to expect that this summer will be any different, with temperatures once again expected to soar well into the 30sC (high 80sF). By then, cool rain will be a distant memory.

 

Written by Len Port,

Edited by Catriona Anderson.

 

MAIN HEADLINE NEWS

ELECTION IN MAY  

Parliament has been dissolved ahead of a national election set for 18 May –  the third in as many years – following a no-confidence vote against the minority Social Democratic Party (PSD). The main contenders in May will be the PSD, the Socialist Party (PS) and Chega. 

WEATHER WARNINGS

The Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute has issued multiple weather warnings for various parts of the mainland, as well as the Azores and Madeira archipelagos. Flights have been disrupted, flooding has occurred, and some reservoirs have overflowed. The Algarve, after years of drought, has experienced relentless rain day after day after day this month.

AIRPORT ARRIVALS. 

Portugal’s airports handled 4.2 million passengers in January, 6% more than the same month last year. This surge is all the more remarkable, given that January falls in the middle of the tourism low-season.

UKRAINE SUPPORT

Portugal's prime minister and foreign minister have been in close collaboration with British and EU efforts to secure a lasting peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. 

HOME PRICES 

The price of homes is expected to continue to rise this year in Portugal, one of Europe’s hottest property markets. This is driven by strong foreign demand and limited supply.

HOMELESSNESS  

A Catholic Charity is taking action to tackle what it describes as “a dramatic increase” in homelessness. The organisation has stressed the urgent need “to fight against poverty and exclusion in Portugal.” New homes rose by 7.5% in 2924 over the previous tear. The rise in existing homes over the same period was 9.7%.

TRUMP’S TARRIFS  

Wine producers in the Douro, Portugal’s prime wine-producing region are deeply concerned that Trump’s proposed  20% tariffs on drinks, including wine, from the European Union. Industry experts warn the measures could have a “brutal effect” on their exports.  

HUNTERS HUNTED 

Between 18 August and 28 February, the GNR police inspected 7,496 individuals, detaining 197 for illegally hunting protected species.

ANIMAL ABUSE..

The PSP police have detained 326 people for environmental crimes, including animal abuse and have recorded 11,485 offences related to those crimes over the past three years. 

YET ANOTHER GENERAL ELECTION

 

The third snap election in as many years is to take place in May, triggered this time by a controversy involving Prime Minister Luis Montenegro.

As leader of his minority government and the centre-right Social Democratic Party (PSD), Montenegro had worked quite well in coalition with the centre-left Socialist Party (PS). However, this fragile partnership collapsed when the PS rejected a confidence vote called by the prime minister, who faces allegations of a conflict of interests relating to a family-owned business. 

 

A last-minute effort to avoid the confidence vote fell apart when the parties failed to agree on the terms for establishing a parliamentary inquiry into the allegations.

 

Montenegro, 52, took office last April, but his government came crashing down on Tuesday evening when the confidence vote failed. The PS backed by the right-wing Chega party, voted against him, leaving President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to set yet another election vote. 

The prime minister has said that when he became leader of the PSD in 2022, he transferred control of a law firm he had created to his wife and children. Mr. Montenegro has insisted he has committed no crime and done no wrong.

Last year’s snap election followed the resignation of the PS Prime Minister Antonio Costa amid a corruption scandal within his party. He denied any wrong-going himself and went on to become president of the European Council, a position he still holds.