European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius conducted his first official visit to Portugal, meeting Defence Minister Nuno Melo and Education Minister Fernando Alexandre to discuss defence and space policy. He signalled that SAFE funds could reach the Portuguese government in the coming weeks or months, prompting analytical questions about budget timing, allocation between defence and civil space programmes, and coordination between national ministries and EU institutions. The visit underlined the need for clear planning to integrate incoming EU funding with Portugal’s defence and space policy priorities.